The Indian cricket team's coaching staff may see changes soon. At least one senior support staff member is likely to leave after India's ongoing tour of England, according to a report by the Times of India.
The move could trigger a wider reshuffle of head coach Gautam Gambhir's support staff and there is a possibility of having a new coaching setup before India's tour of Sri Lanka in August.
Coach talks with IPL franchise
Gambhir took over as India's head coach in July 2024 during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Ryan ten Doeschate and T Dilip joined the support staff at the same time. Morne Morkel came on board before the Bangladesh Test series later that year.
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TOI quoted a source as saying, "It is understood that the support staff had signed a 2+1 contract with the BCCI. While the cricket board and the coaches have the option of extending their tenure by one year after the initial two-years, it is understood that at least one coach has already held discussions with an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise with a global presence and is likely to join their setup."
Indian team performance, separate coaching staff
TOI reported that the possible exits are not linked to India's recent T20I losses in Ireland and England. Although the team has not performed up to the mark in any of the series, it is simply seen as a temporary poor phase. The report said the reasons instead trace back to internal issues within the support staff over the past few months.
The BCCI has already named a separate coaching staff for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman will lead the team in Zimbabwe. He will then take charge of another Indian squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
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Some officials have questioned the decision to rest Gambhir's support staff for the Zimbabwe tour, noting that the coaches had already had a long break during IPL 2026.
A source told TOI, "I don't quite understand the need to send VVS Laxman to Zimbabwe. I also do not understand the plan to send him for the Asian Games. There is clearly more than meets the eye, and perhaps the Indian cricket board is exploring options."
Gambhir's support staff has already seen changes
Gambhir has made changes to his support staff before, since taking over from Rahul Dravid. He first brought in Abhishek Nayar and Sitanshu Kotak to strengthen the coaching setup across formats.
Nayar left the national team after India's 2025 Champions Trophy win. Kotak then took over as batting coach. The BCCI also appointed Sairaj Bahutule as the permanent spin-bowling coach. Bahutule had earlier worked with the team during the 2024 Sri Lanka tour, when Morkel missed the series due to a family emergency.
