Rahul Dravid and Team India coaching staff to be rested for Ireland series: Report

Not only players but coaches of the Indian men’s cricket team are also set for a mini-break to manage the workload. It has been reported that head coach Rahul Dravid and his support staff including batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey will be given a break during India’s tour of Ireland where Men in Blue will take part in a three-match T20I series.

The three T20Is will be played in Dublin on 18, 20 and 23 August.

Dravid and his staff would return to India in August from the United States where the last T20Is of the West Indies tour will be played, a report in Cricbuzz said. This will be done to ensure enough time for the coaching staff to recover and recuperate before a busy period that starts with Asia Cup 2023 on 31 August, the ODI series against Australia and the 2023 World Cup at home.

VVS Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), will coach Team India in Ireland, while Sitanshu Kotak or Hrishikesh Kanitkar will be the batting coach. Troy Cooley and Sairaj Bahutule could handle the bowling coach duties.

Laxman also coached the team during the T20Is in Ireland last year.

Talking about the team, as has been the case recently, India are expected to play under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya in Ireland. Also, expected to make a comeback is ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

As per a report, Bumrah is bowling full throttle in NCA in Bengaluru and is set to make a return to competitive cricket. The fast bowler last played for India in a T20I series against Australia last September.

Also at the NCA are Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul, however, there is no word if they would be available for the Ireland tour.