VVS Laxman likely to join LSG's coaching staff ahead of IPL 2025: Report

Former India batter and current National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is likely to join Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as the new head coach ahead of IPL 2025. According to a report by Times Of India (TOI), Laxman is expected to step down from his NCA role once his contract expires in September this year.

Transition from NCA to IPL

VVS Laxman, who was one of the top candidates to succeed Rahul Dravid as the head coach of Team India, expressed his reluctance to be constantly on the road with the team. Appointed as the NCA Head Coach in November 2021, Laxman had to relocate from Hyderabad to Bengaluru for the role. However, with his contract nearing its end and his unwillingness to continue, Lucknow Super Giants have shown interest in bringing him on board as part of their coaching staff for the 2025 IPL season.

Future prospects and team changes

Despite Lucknow Super Giants’ failure to qualify for the playoffs, with a seventh-place finish in the league stage, Justin Langer is expected to continue as the head coach. Additionally, there are reports suggesting that skipper KL Rahul might leave LSG and return to Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he made his IPL debut in 2013.

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As for the NCA, former India batting coach Vikram Rathour is likely to succeed Laxman. Rathour, who has a long association with the BCCI, served as a national selector and later as the Indian team’s batting coach from 2019 to June 2024. Meanwhile, Laxman, having shifted back to Hyderabad, has reportedly been approached by multiple IPL franchises for coaching roles. Despite being the BCCI’s first preference to replace Dravid, Laxman declined the offer due to his reluctance to travel extensively with the team.