VVS Laxman will take charge of the Indian men’s cricket team at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has named the former India batter as the head coach for the men’s side at the major event.
The news came on Thursday, September 3, 2026, after the Sports Ministry released the list of coaches and support staff for the Asian Games. Laxman will have Sunil Joshi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Subhadeep Ghosh as part of his support team.
This is not a new role for Laxman. He had also served as India’s head coach at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. India won the men’s gold medal at that event. His return to the same role gives India a coach with direct Asian Games experience as the team seeks another gold medal in Japan.
Why Gambhir Will Not Coach India
The main reason for the change is a clash in the international cricket schedule.
India’s regular men’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, will stay with the senior team for a three-match ODI series against the West Indies at home. The first ODI is set for September 27. The second ODI will take place on September 30, while the third ODI is set for October 3.
The Asian Games cricket event will take place at almost the same time. The men’s cricket competition will start on September 24, and India’s first match is set for September 28. If India reach the gold medal match, the final is set for October 3.
This makes it impossible for Gambhir and his main support staff to handle both assignments at the same time. The BCCI has therefore used a separate setup for the Asian Games, with Laxman at the top.
Laxman Has Done This Before
Laxman already knows what the Asian Games role demands. At the 2023 event in Hangzhou, he guided the Indian men’s team to the gold medal.
That earlier success makes his appointment for the 2026 edition a familiar choice. He has also taken charge of India on several other occasions when the regular head coach was not available.
Laxman has held several roles within Indian cricket since his retirement as a player. He is now the Director of Cricket at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence. His work has given him close contact with many young players who could now have key roles for India in Japan.
His past work with young squads may also help this group. The 2026 team has a mix of established names, young players and fresh faces.
India Has a Strong Men’s Squad
India will not send a weak or second-choice men’s side this time. The squad has several of the country’s top players.
Shreyas Iyer will captain the team. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are also part of the group. Shivam Dube and Tilak Varma add more power to the middle order.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar give the team more all-round options. Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi are the main spin choices.
The pace group has Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. Bumrah is one of the biggest names in the squad and gives India a major option with the new ball and at the end of an innings.
Teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is another major name in the squad. His place gives the young player a chance to take part in a major multi-sport event alongside some of India’s biggest cricket stars.
India’s men’s squad is: Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
India Starts From the Quarter-Finals
India is one of the four seeded teams in the men’s cricket event. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are the other three seeded sides.
These four teams will start their campaigns at the quarter-final stage. India will face the second-placed team from Group A.
Group A has Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal. The result of their group matches will decide which team faces India in the quarter-final.
India’s first match is set for September 28. The team will have a short route to the medal stage because of its first-round bye, but there will be little room for error once the knockout stage starts.
Women Will Also Defend Their Title
India’s women will also enter the Asian Games as the defending champions.
Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the women’s team. Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh are part of the squad.
The group also has Gunalan Kamalini, Bharti Fulmali, Sree Charani, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav and Nandani Sharma.
Amol Muzumdar will remain the head coach of the women’s side. Aavishkar Salvi will serve as the bowling coach, while Munish Bali will serve as the fielding coach.
Unlike the men’s side, the women’s team will have its regular support staff at the Asian Games. The women will enter the event at the quarter-final stage and face Japan.
A Chance for Two Gold Medals
India has a clear target in Japan. Both the men’s and women’s teams are defending T20 champions at the Asian Games.
The men’s side won gold at the 2023 event under Laxman’s charge. The women’s team also won its title at the same event.
The 2026 men’s squad is stronger than the group India sent to the previous edition, which had a second-string side led by Ruturaj Gaikwad. This time, India has chosen a full-strength group with players such as Iyer, Bumrah and Sooryavanshi.
That decision shows the value India has placed on the event. A gold medal would also give Laxman another major success in his return to the Asian Games role.
Laxman’s Task Ahead
Laxman now has a simple but difficult job. He must prepare a strong team for a short knockout campaign while the main Indian side has a separate international task at home.
His earlier Asian Games success gives him useful experience. He knows the pressure of the event and has already worked with players from different age groups.
The presence of senior players such as Bumrah and Iyer should also give the team a strong base. At the same time, younger names such as Sooryavanshi can gain valuable experience on a major stage.
The schedule will remain one of the biggest challenges. India’s men’s cricket campaign starts on September 28, while the West Indies ODI series starts on September 27. If India reach the Asian Games final, the title match will take place on October 3, the same day as the third West Indies ODI.
India Eyes Another Gold
VVS Laxman’s return as India’s Asian Games head coach brings a familiar face back to the role. He has already guided India to gold at the event, and now he gets another chance to repeat that result.
Gautam Gambhir will focus on the West Indies ODI series, while Laxman will take charge of the Asian Games squad in Japan. Shreyas Iyer will lead a strong men’s team, while Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the women’s side.
With both teams as defending champions, expectations will be high. India will aim for two gold medals, and Laxman will once again have a central role in that effort.
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