India head coach Rahul Dravid and his team of support staff will get a break after the culmination of the West Indies tour.
The Indian team is currently in the Caribbean for an all-format tour, comprising two Tests, three ODIs and five T20Is. The tour will conclude on August 13 with the fifth and final T20I in Florida.
In Dravid’s absence, Sitanshu Kotak will perform the role of India’s head coach during the upcoming T20I tour of Ireland, CricketNext reported on August 12.
Kotak, the former Saurashtra batter, has been an integral part of the NCA coaching set-up. He is serving the India A side as head coach for the last couple of years.
According to the report, NCA head VVS Laxman was likely to accompany the team but he will now stay back to oversee the Emerging camp underway in Bengaluru.
Dravid and his team of support staff will rejoin the team for Asia Cup 2023 preparations later this month. After the continental tournament, India will host Australia for three ODIs before taking part in the all-important ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at home.
Talking about the Ireland tour, India will play three T20Is in Dublin on August 18, 20 and 23. The tour will also mark Jasprit Bumrah’s comeback. The ace pacer has been out of competitive action for nearly a year due to a recurring back injury and he will be keen to get some game time under his belt before the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup.
Bumrah will lead a young Indian side on the tour of Ireland, featuring the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma and Rinku Singh.
The selectors will keep an eye on Prasidh Krishna as well during the Ireland tour as the lanky pacer is returning from a long injury hiatus and he could well be in the selection reckoning for the 50-over World Cup later this year.
India squad for T20I series against Ireland: Jasprit Bumrah (c), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan
(CricketNext Inputs)
