Gambhir’s Test struggles fuel VVS Laxman coach role rumours; BCCI sets the record straight

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has dismissed speculation linking former India batter VVS Laxman with the men’s Test team head coach role, calling the reports unfounded and inaccurate.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board has neither discussed nor initiated any move to alter the leadership structure of the Test side. His clarification comes amid widespread media reports suggesting that Laxman had been sounded out as a potential successor following India’s recent struggles in the longest format.

Speaking to ANI, Saikia said, "This is totally incorrect news going on. This is totally speculative news. Some very reputed news agencies are also flashing the news. There is no truth to it. BCCI straight away denies. People can think all they want, but BCCI has not taken any steps. This is somebody's figment of imagination; there is no truth in it, and I cannot say anything except that this is factually incorrect and baseless news."


The speculation gathered pace after India endured a difficult run in Test cricket, including a 0-2 home series defeat to South Africa under head coach Gautam Gambhir. That followed a 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand last year, also at home, marking India’s first Test series loss on home soil in 12 years. The New Zealand defeat also ended India’s hopes of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship 2025 final, while the South Africa loss has further complicated their chances, subject to future results.

While India’s Test form has dipped, the team has flourished in limited-overs cricket under Gambhir. India won both the ICC Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup T20I edition without losing a match. In contrast, their Test record under Gambhir stands at seven wins, 10 losses and two draws.

India’s Test campaign showed early promise with a 2-0 home series win over Bangladesh, but subsequent losses to New Zealand and Australia, including a 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy away, proved costly. The setbacks coincided with senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin stepping away from Test cricket.

There were bright spots as well. India drew a highly competitive 2-2 Test series in England under the leadership of Shubman Gill and later secured a 2-0 home series win against the West Indies. However, South Africa delivered a major blow, denying India a modest chase of 124 in Kolkata before handing them their heaviest-ever Test defeat by 408 runs. Gill missed both Tests due to a neck injury, with Rishabh Pant leading the side in his absence.

Despite the Test setbacks, India closed the home season positively by winning the ODI and T20I series against South Africa 2-1 and 3-1 respectively.

Looking ahead, India’s immediate focus shifts away from Test cricket to the defence of their T20 World Cup title. The tournament begins on February 7, with India opening their campaign against the USA in Mumbai. Led by Suryakumar Yadav, the new-look side has been placed in Group A alongside Pakistan, Namibia, the Netherlands and the USA.

The upcoming World Cup will be India’s first T20 global event in several years without stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, adding an extra layer of intrigue as the young squad looks to deliver in front of home fans.

With inputs from ANI