Before the trip to Sri Lanka, the BCCI is organizing a meeting to assess the performance of the Indian team during tours in Ireland, England, and Zimbabwe. This gathering will not be limited to just selecting the squad, as it will also serve as a platform for making important decisions regarding the support staff of head coach Gautam Gambhir.
The Indian team is preparing to play a two-match test series on home soil in Sri Lanka next month. The selection of the team composition will be made by Tuesday, July 28, ahead of the series, which starts on August 15. The first match is scheduled from August 15 to 19 in Galle, and the second from August 23 to 27 at the Singlites club in Colombo.
According to BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikhy in an interview with the Times of India, the squad for the matches in Sri Lanka will be announced within the next two days. The series in Sri Lanka presents a serious challenge for Indian players, as the pitches there are favorable to spinners, and Indian cricket has often struggled on foreign grounds previously.
Immediately after finalizing the team selection, the BCCI will hold a meeting in the first half of August to thoroughly review the results of recent overseas visits. Specifically, the team suffered a defeat against Ireland in a T20 series led by Shreyas Iyer, with a score of 0-2. Following this, England secured a convincing victory over India in a five-match T20 series with a score of 4-0. Furthermore, under Shubman Gill's leadership, the Indian team lost to England in an ODI series with a score of 1-2.
Nevertheless, in the tour of Zimbabwe, India showed a strong recovery, winning the first T20 match by seven wickets, marking Shreyas Iyer's first victory as a T20I captain. Devajit Saikhy emphasized that the meeting will discuss not only the results but also the reasons for the defeats. He noted that a comprehensive analysis will be conducted after the team returns from Zimbabwe, including what went wrong in England, in which areas the team lagged behind, and what improvements need to be made.
An important aspect of this meeting is also the fate of the support staff. Since the Indian team did not show the expected level in three disciplines—batting, bowling, and fielding—during recent tours, the BCCI will evaluate the work of assistant coach Ryan Ten Doshet and fielding coach T. Dilip. Their two-year contract expires along with the current appointment for the cricket matches, and now the BCCI will decide whether or not to renew their contracts.
Devajit Saikhy stated that the review committee will make a decision regarding the extension of the contracts of the two support staff members. According to sources, there is currently no clarity regarding the renewal of both specialists' contracts, and the possibility of changes cannot be ruled out. T. Dilip was one of the most popular members of the staff, known for starting the tradition of presenting the 'Best Fielder Medal' after every match. During Rahul Dravid's tenure, Dilip was part of the team. After Rahul Dravid's tenure, as well as the tenures of batting coach Vikram Rathore and bowling coach Parsa Mhambre after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, Dilip became a member of the new head coach Gautam Gambhir's staff.
Thus, the BCCI meeting before the trip to Sri Lanka goes beyond simple squad selection; it is viewed as one of the key sessions determining the future of Indian cricket, where final decisions may be made on major issues such as the defeats in England, the disappointing performance in Ireland, and the future of the support staff.
Tension is growing in the fan community regarding the future of Rohit Sharma, the explosive batsman of the Indian team. Rumors are circulating among fans about Rohit potentially ending his career in ODI format, with these reports surfacing just before the third ODI match against England at Lord's.
Former experienced Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin made highly critical remarks about the selection policy and overall approach of the BCCI. In his YouTube show 'ASH ki BAAT', Ashwin sharply criticized the treatment of Rohit Sharma, calling it incomprehensible.
Ashwin noted that the prospects of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli playing in the 2027 ODI World Cup had already been discussed. He believes that if an athlete understands that the management does not want him in the squad, it will inevitably demoralize him and negatively affect his performance.
Referring to statistical data, Ashwin stated that after the 2024 T20 World Cup, Rohit demonstrated impressive play. Since 2024, in 19 ODI matches, Rohit has scored 819 runs at an average of 45.21 and a strike rate of 109.15, including one century and six half-centuries.
Ashwin questioned the leadership of the team and the BCCI, stating that excluding a veteran like Rohit Sharma, or pushing him towards leaving the team at this stage, is completely unfair. He insisted that after the BCCI Champions Trophy, the selectors should have met with Rohit to clearly discuss future plans.
On the other hand, former teammate Parit Patel also shared his opinion. Parit noted that Rohit is always capable of returning to the game with a decisive knock after two or three unsuccessful matches. He added that all Indian fans hope that if this is indeed his last match, he will bid farewell to international cricket at Lord's with a magnificent century.
Significant changes may occur within the coaching staff of the Indian team following unsuccessful tours in Ireland and England. According to TOI, at least two members of head coach Gautam Gambhir's support staff might leave the Indian team.
One of these senior support staff members has already discussed contract terms with the IPL franchise and is expected to soon join that franchise's structure. Furthermore, there is a possibility that another coach will also soon depart from the Indian team's setup.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may review the current coaching staff before the tour of Sri Lanka in August. Meanwhile, the decision to appoint a separate coaching staff led by V.V.S. Laxman for the T20 series against Zimbabwe and the Asian Games 2026 raised several questions.
According to the report, Gambhir's support staff had a contract with the BCCI for 2+1 years. After the first two years, the board and the coach have an option to extend the contract for one more year. Although the team recently lost the T20 series against Ireland and its performance in England did not meet expectations, the report states that potential changes in the support staff are not directly linked to these defeats. The reason cited is internal disagreements that arose within the coaching staff in recent months.
The BCCI did not assign Gambhir and his support staff responsibility for the T20 series against Zimbabwe. V.V.S. Laxman will be the head coach of the Indian team on this tour, and subsequently take charge of the team for the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. Some board officials have expressed doubts about this decision. One source noted: 'I do not understand why V.V.S. Laxman is being sent to Zimbabwe. The plan to send him to the Asian Games is also beyond comprehension. Definitely, the situation is much more complex than it seems. Perhaps the board is looking for alternatives.'
Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach of the Indian team in July 2024. Initially, the support staff included assistant Ryan Ten Dosheaat and field coach T. Dileep, while Morne Merkel took on the role of wicketkeeper after the series against Bangladesh. Gambhir also brought in reliable colleagues such as Abhishek Nayar and Sitanshu Kotak. However, after the 2025 World Cup, Abhishek Nayar left the team, and Sitanshu Kotak took the position of batting coach. Recently, the BCCI also appointed Sairaj Bahule as the spin bowling coach.
Signs of major changes in the Indian team's coaching staff are reappearing after the tour in England. Speculation about imminent shake-ups in Gautam Gambhir's support staff has intensified due to the review by the BCCI and the assignment of new responsibilities to V.V.S. Laxman.
