Sitanshu Kotak, former India A coach has been named as team India’s head coach for the upcoming series against Ireland. Since the tournaments like the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup are on the cards, regular members of the coaching staff have been rested. Rahul Dravid alongside bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and batting coach Vikram Rathour will not be travelling with the team.
The Indian team will be going to Ireland to take part in the three-match T20I series starting August 18, 2023. Earlier, the chief of National Cricket Academy, VVS Laxman was supposed to join the team as interim head coach but then the former India batter opted to stay in Bengaluru for the Emerging camp.
Sitanshu Kotak who is the batting coach in the NCA has already served as the India A head coach for a while and has a lot of experience. Talking about his playing career, Kotak is regarded as of the greats of Saurashtra cricket history as he collected 8,061 runs in 130 first-class matches with an average of 41.76. He was also a useful bowler as he scalped 70 wickets for Saurashtra.
Senior bowler Jasprit Bumrah is fully fit and will be leading the side for the T20Is against Ireland. Apart from Bumrah, the Karnataka-based pacer Prasidh Krishna also made a cut to the Indian squad after being away from the game due to a lumbar stress fracture.
SCHEDULE
18 August: Ireland vs India – 1st T20I (Malahide; start time 3pm)
20 August: Ireland vs India – 2nd T20I (Malahide; start time 3pm)
23 August: Ireland vs India – 3rd T20I (Malahide; start time 3pm)
Squads:
India: Jasprit Bumrah (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan.
Ireland Squad: Paul Stirling (capt), Andrew Balbirnie, Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Theo van Woerkom, Ben White, Craig Young.