VVS Laxman, Head of the Centre of Excellence (CoE), will serve as head coach of the Indian men's cricket team at the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports confirmed on 3 September. The announcement came as the Ministry unveiled India's 768-member contingent for the Games, comprising 503 athletes, 246 team officials and supporting staff, and 19 contingent staff.

Coaching Setup for the Asiad

Laxman steps into the head coaching role as regular head coach Gautam Gambhir is rested ahead of the West Indies white-ball series, set to begin on 27 September. Joining Laxman in the men's team support staff are Sunil Joshi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and Subhadeep Ghosh. On the women's side, Amol Muzumdar will lead the coaching unit for the Asiad.

This is not Laxman's first assignment in the stand-in role. He most recently oversaw the Indian team during the T20I series against Zimbabwe in July, a stint that followed Gambhir being rested after the white-ball series against England. The arrangement reflects the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) broader strategy of using the CoE head to manage lower-priority windows.

Defending Champions Enter as Favourites

Both the Indian men's and women's cricket teams arrive at the Asian Games as defending champions. At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, Ruturaj Gaikwad captained a largely second-string men's side to the gold medal, while Harmanpreet Kaur guided the Women in Blue to gold in the women's competition. The cricket event at Aichi-Nagoya is scheduled to run from 19 September to 3 October.

Accommodation Concerns Surface

Off the field, the logistics of the cricket event have drawn scrutiny. Several top Asian teams raised concerns last week over facilities and arrangements — particularly room sizes — for both the men's and women's T20 tournament. The issue has put a spotlight on the compressed preparation timeline for the host.

Naoki Alex Miyaji, Chief Executive Officer of the Japan Cricket Association (JCA), addressed the concerns directly, noting that participating cricket teams are being offered hotel accommodation. 'The Asian Games is being organised by the organising committee (AINAGOC) in collaboration with the ACC under the OCA. The JCA has provided support in some areas but is not directly involved with it. What I can say is that all parties are working hard to ensure the success of Cricket in the AGs,' Miyaji said.

Miyaji also contextualised the scale of the challenge: 'They only had 17 months to prepare and had to start from scratch, as there were no Cricket venues of any standard in Aichi Prefecture.' He added that cricket teams are, in fact, better placed than some other sports, where athletes are being housed in cruise ships or container hotels. Teams have also been given the option to arrange their own accommodation if they prefer.

What to Watch

With India entering as title-holders in both events and a familiar stand-in coaching structure in place, the focus will quickly shift to squad selection and on-field performance. The resolution of accommodation concerns will be equally watched, as the smooth conduct of cricket's return to the Asian Games carries significance for the sport's standing within the multi-discipline event.