Former India batter and Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman is set to take charge as head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Japan. Regular head coach Gautam Gambhir will not travel with the squad to Nagoya, allowing Laxman to oversee India’s campaign.
The Men in Blue will have a busy schedule after the recent Test series in Sri Lanka. India will next return to T20I action with a home series against Afghanistan. With multiple assignments scheduled around the same time, the team management is expected to use a split-coaching setup for the Asian Games.
VVS Laxman Steps in to Coach Asian Games Contingent
Gautam Gambhir will not travel to Japan with the Indian team for the Asian Games 2026. He will be with the Indian ODI team ahead of the three-match home series against the West Indies, which begins on September 27. VVS Laxman is set to take charge of the Indian men’s team during the Asian Games.
According to PTI, Sunil Joshi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Subhadeep Ghosh will be part of the coaching staff. Maroof Fajandar from the BCCI Cricket Operations department will serve as the “Team Leader” of the support staff. Laxman has previously coached India on multiple occasions.
The @BCCI both men and women included have the 2nd biggest support staff contingent after Athletics and perhaps one more than shooting.
— Kushan Sarkar (@kushansarkar) September 3, 2026
VVS Laxman will be assisted by Sunil Joshi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Subhadeep Ghosh.
Maroof Fajandar from Cric Ops is designated "Team Leader"…
The BCCI has also reportedly considered giving Laxman a bigger role in Indian cricket. His appointment for the Asian Games gives him another opportunity to work with the national team as India aim to win another gold medal in Japan.
Shreyas Iyer to Lead India in Asian Games 2026
Shreyas Iyer will captain India at the Asian Games 2026, with Tilak Varma serving as his deputy. Iyer recently took over as India’s T20I captain and will look to guide the team to the gold medal after a difficult start to his captaincy tenure.
The men’s cricket tournament will take place in Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture, with the competition running from September 24 to October 3. India will play their quarterfinal match at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on September 28 after receiving a first-round bye.
India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have received direct entry into the quarterfinals. The other six teams will first compete in the group stage. Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal are in Group A, while Hong Kong, Malaysia and Oman are in Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage.
India Aim to Defend Asian Games Gold Medal
India will enter the tournament as the defending men’s champions after winning gold at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. The final against Afghanistan ended without a result because of rain, but India won the gold medal based on their higher seeding.
The Asian Games will mark the fourth time in the last five editions that cricket has featured in the multi-sport event. Cricket made its Asian Games debut in Guangzhou in 2010.
Bangladesh won the men’s gold in 2010, Sri Lanka claimed the title in 2014 and India won in 2023. Afghanistan have finished with the silver medal in the last three editions.
India are also the defending champions in the women’s competition after winning gold in Hangzhou. With full-strength squads selected for both events, the Indian teams will aim to retain their respective titles in Japan.
