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Legendary Indian batter VVS Laxman has confirmed that the BCCI had approached him for the head coach position after Rahul Dravid's tenure ended in 2024, but he decided not to take the job.
After Rahul Dravid's successful stint as head coach came to an end, the BCCI had approached Laxman for the role, but he decided to continue his work at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Amid this, Shubman Gill injury update: India coach confirms Test availability.
VVS Laxman was offered the India Head coach job
VVS Laxman has shared that he was offered the head coach position for the Indian team in 2024. However, the former Indian batter had two major reasons for turning down the opportunity. The legendary batter said that he couldn’t spend that much time away from his family at that time, so he didn’t take that demanding responsibility.
And the second reason was his commitment to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. Laxman had already spent years building the BCCI's high-performance setup and wanted to take the project further.
He believed that the CoE still had a lot of work to complete, especially in terms of its structure, systems and long-term programmes. So, Laxman decided to stay with the BCCI facility at that time.
VVS Laxman wants to build a strong Centre Of Excellence
VVS Laxman was quoted as saying by Rediff.com, “Because (former BCCI secretary) Jay (Shah) and the BCCI gave me the freedom to execute my vision, and Devajit (Saikia, current BCCI secretary) continues to give it to me, I've extended my stint at CoE for two years, and I committed to the BCCI that I'm not taking up the head coach position. You all know that I was approached back in 2024.”
The NCA head further added, “I just shared with them all the SOPs for every department, you know, before I move on after the two-year stay. So, I think I'm very happy that I've been able – also because of the team we have – to establish a very, very world-class programme at the CoE.”
VVS Laxman praises Virat Kohli
During his interaction with the media in Bengaluru, Laxman also hailed Virat Kohli. The batting legend highlighted Kohli's professionalism and the extremely high standards he maintains whenever he plays cricket. He said that many youngsters look at Kohli as someone they want to follow and learn from.
Laxman added, “I think there is no doubt that Virat is an exemplary professional. And the standards he sets for himself are something which he tries and goes out for every time he plays, whichever team, to meet those standards. And that is why he is a great role model. And I think a lot of youngsters or players want to emulate him.”
VVS Laxman defends Centre of Excellence over injuries
Meanwhile, several Indian players have faced fitness and injury issues, and the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence has come under the scanner as it handles rehabilitation and fitness work for players. Amid this, Gautam Gambhir sent Ruturaj Gaikwad's name to BCCI before Sarfaraz Khan's selection.
However, Laxman does not believe the COE should be blamed for the injuries. He explained that there is regular coordination between the Centre of Excellence and the Indian team management. They work together when it comes to player fitness, rehabilitation and workload management.
