All Indian Coaches And Support Staff For Zimbabwe Tour and Asian Games 2026

Indian head coach for Zimbabwe Tour and Asian Games 2026 (Source: AFP)

It is no secret that India have endured a difficult period in white-ball cricket, suffering a 4-0 T20I series defeat and a 2-1 ODI series loss to England. Since the T20 World Cup 2026, the Men in Blue have struggled to find consistency and are looking to rebuild their squad with an eye on the future.

However, fresh off a disappointing UK tour, the Indian cricket team is preparing for a high-octane Zimbabwe tour followed by the Asian Games.

For the uninitiated, the permanent coaching staff, led by Gautam Gambhir, won’t accompany the India Team for these two events.

Instead, the Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman, along with his usual set-up, consisting of Sunil Joshi as the bowling coach and Hrishikesh Kanitkar as the batting coach have joined the team.

List of India Coaching Staff members for Zimbabwe Tour and Asian Games 2026

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have opted to use a split coaching model to manage India’s packed schedule, with VVS Laxman will coach the team on the white-ball tour of Zimbabwe and at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

Meanwhile, the regular head coach will take a break after the hectic Ireland and England series and will be shifting his focus to preparing for the Sri Lanka Test series in August 2026.

Moreover, former India cricketers Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sunil Joshi will join Laxman as batting and bowling coaches, respectively. The duo recently worked with India A in the successful Tri-series campaign in Sri Lanka.

Apart from that, former joint secretary of the Assam Cricket Association, Kamakhya Saikia, has been appointed manager of the Indian senior men’s cricket team for its tour of Zimbabwe.

Indian coaches and support staff for Zimbabwe and Asian Games

In the same context, let’s further take a look at the VVS Laxman’s stats and records and explore his credentials.

VVS Laxman India head coach: Stats and Record

Former Indian batter Laxman has enjoyed considerable success whenever he has been entrusted with coaching responsibilities. In his first assignment at the designation, he guided the Men in Blue to a comfortable 2-0 series sweep against the Ireland cricket team.

He was then given the charge for the 2022 Asia Cup. India narrowly missed out on a place in the final. Nonetheless, Laxman was praised for his handling of the young talent in the team.

Also read: India’s Record In Zimbabwe In T20Is Before India Tour Of Zimbabwe 2026

Later, he was temporarily appointed the Indian head coach for the Zimbabwe ODI series in 2022, where India registered a dominant 3-0 clean sweep. In 2023, he coached a young Indian side to the gold medal at the Asian Games, adding to his long list of milestones in his coaching career.

In 2024, Laxman was again sent with the Shubman Gill-led squad to tour Zimbabwe. The young squad bounced back from a defeat in the opening fixture and eventually won the series 4-1.

A look at Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sunil Joshi’s coaching credentials

Former Indian cricketer Hrishikesh Kanitkar boasts an extensive coaching career, highlighted by his roles as the batting coach for the Indian women’s team, head coach of the India U-19 team in 2024, and head coach for India A.

Apart from that, he has coached domestic heavyweights including Tamil Nadu and Goa. Further, he has served as part of the coaching setup for the IPL franchise Rising Pune Supergiant.

Similarly, the former India and Karnataka spinner Sunil Joshi also has extensive coaching experience.

After hanging up his boots in 2012, he transitioned into coaching and cricket development. He has served as head coach for teams like Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir and Assam.

On top of that, he has worked with teams beyond borders. In 2017, Joshi was appointed spin-bowling coach for the Bangladesh national men’s team. It was one of his first major international coaching assignments.

Later, he took on consultant roles with Oman and the USA national teams as well. Joshi then served as the chief selector for the senior Indian men’s team from March 2020 to early 2023 before taking on the role of a spin coach of the U19 and India A team.

Notably, both Kanitkar and Sunil Joshi have worked in tandem with VVS Laxman during India U-19’s recent title-winning campaign at the Zimbabwe World Cup 2026.

Also read: Zimbabwe T20 Squad vs India Announced; Sikandar Raza To Lead