IRE vs IND | Sitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule, Munish Bali to accompany VVS Laxman on Ireland tour

VVS Laxman will accompany the National Cricket Academy (NCA) trio of Sitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule and Munish Bali for the Ireland tour. The 'Men in Blue' are scheduled to tour Ireland for a two-match T20I series towards the end of June.

Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was a part of the India 'A' coaching staff for the South African tour last year. One of the most prolific spinners in first-class cricket, Sairaj Bahutule, was the bowling coach for the India U-19 side during the successful World Cup campaign in West Indies. Munish Bali joins the staff as the fielding coach.

A whole new coaching staff has been appointed, as the senior Indian squad is scheduled to play the postponed fifth Test in England. Head coach Rahul Dravid will be with the senior team for the final Test and the limited-overs series. Laxman is the current director of cricket at NCA and will assume the role of a head coach for the Ireland tour in the absence of Dravid.

Laxman has quite a bit of credibility under his belt, given that he was a part of the support staff for India's U-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year. He has also been involved in coaching positions with the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

The two T20Is against Ireland are scheduled to be played in Dublin on 26th and 28th June. The absence of the senior pros will present an opportunity to the youngsters to showcase their talent on the international stage. The squad for the series is yet to be announced, but one can expect to see several new names to feature in this list. 

The Men in Blue last toured Ireland in 2018 for a two-match T20I series. The visitors dominated the proceedings, winning both matches. However, Ireland could have a much better chance this time, given that India will be fielding a second-fiddle side.