The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has firmly denied speculation that former India batting great VVS Laxman is being considered to replace Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian men’s Test team.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia termed the reports “factually incorrect and baseless,” stating that the board has not taken any steps to change the leadership group in Test cricket.
Media reports suggesting that Laxman had been approached for the role began circulating shortly after India suffered a 0-2 Test series whitewash at home against South Africa under Gambhir.
This followed last year’s shocking 0-3 home series loss to New Zealand—India’s first Test series defeat at home in 12 years—which marked a significant dent in the country’s long-standing dominance in the longest format under leaders like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma.
The New Zealand whitewash cost India a place in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final, and the recent defeat to South Africa could also jeopardise their chances of qualifying for the title clash, depending on upcoming results.
Speaking to ANI, Saikia said, “This is totally incorrect and speculative news. There is no truth to it. The BCCI categorically denies these reports. No steps have been taken regarding any change. This is purely a figment of imagination.”
While India has enjoyed considerable success under Gambhir in limited-overs cricket—winning the ICC Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup T20I edition unbeaten—the same consistency has not been reflected in Test cricket. Under his tenure, India has won seven Tests, lost 10, and drawn two.
India began Gambhir’s Test stint on a positive note with a 2-0 home series win over Bangladesh. However, successive setbacks against New Zealand at home and Australia away, including a 1-3 loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, led to the Test retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
A hard-fought 2-2 draw against England in England under young captain Shubman Gill, followed by a 2-0 home series win against the West Indies, briefly revived hopes.
However, South Africa’s commanding performances—led by Temba Bavuma, Simon Harmer, and Marco Jansen—saw India fail to chase 124 runs in Kolkata and then suffer their biggest-ever Test defeat by 408 runs in the series.
India also missed Gill’s services in both Tests against South Africa due to a neck injury, with Rishabh Pant stepping in as captain.
Despite the Test setbacks, India bounced back strongly in white-ball cricket, winning the ODI and T20I series against South Africa 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.
Looking ahead, India’s immediate focus will shift away from Test cricket to defending their T20 World Cup title. The tournament begins on February 7, with a new-look Indian side led by Suryakumar Yadav.
India will open their campaign against the USA in Mumbai and are placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA.
With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli absent from the T20 World Cup squad for the first time in several years, the tournament presents a fresh challenge for the young Indian team—one they will face on home soil amid high expectations.