Laxman was being pursued by an IPL franchise for a head coach position, a role that is now not possible because of his NCA duties. He is likely to be assisted by his team of coaches, including Shitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, all stalwarts of Indian domestic cricket.
The extension of Laxman’s contract comes ahead of the inauguration of a new state-of-the-art NCA campus in the outskirts of Bengaluru, the foundation for which was laid in January 2022, 14 years after the land was sanctioned by the Karnataka government on a 99-year lease.
Believed to be equipped with at least 100 pitches, indoor facilities with 45 pitches, three international-sized grounds, a modern rehab centre, lodging facilities and Olympic-sized pools, apart from a host of other amenities, the NCA is in its final stages of construction. It is likely to be operational from early next year.
One of Laxman’s challenges will be to build on an already comprehensive India A tour program that has been carried forward from Rahul Dravid’s tenure. It has, however, been hampered by a busy international calendar.
During his first three-year term at the NCA, Laxman has carried forward the robust processes set for injury management, player rehabilitation, coaching programmes and preparing roadmaps for the senior teams, age-group and women’s cricket.
