The Indian team will leave for Dublin on August 15 for the three-match Ireland series, but VVS Laxman, the team’s head coach, will not be going with them. The team’s captain will be Jasprit Bumrah.
Laxman was expected to assume command of the coaching staff as Rahul Dravid and his coaching staff are currently in the US for the final stage of the bilateral series against West Indies and are not travelling with the T20I side. The director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) won’t be taking part in the tour, it has now been disclosed. The support staff will instead include a few other instructors, including Sitanshu Kotak and Sairaj Bahutule.
August 18, 20, and 23 are the dates for the three matches.
Bumrah’s much anticipated return, which gives this series relevance given that he hasn’t played in a competitive game of cricket since September 2022, is a major factor. The Ireland series will shed light on Bumrah’s recovery after his back surgery in February, which is thought to be crucial to India’s World Cup preparations.
In Dublin, the team will come together in two different groupings. One batch will depart from the US and is currently in Miami for the final two T20Is. On Tuesday morning, Bumrah and the rest of the group will depart from Mumbai.
Rayudu is probably going to Joburg Super Kings.
In a completely unrelated situation, there is information that Joburg Super Kings may sign Ambati Rayudu for the second SA20 season. Rayudu’s signing with the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots for the 2018 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season was made public on Friday. Rayudu, a former member of the Chennai Super Kings, initially declared his intention to play for the Texas Super Kings in the inaugural US season of Major League Cricket (MLC). He had to leave, though, for personal and familial reasons.
The Super Kings management is thinking about bringing Rayudu on board for SA20. The team’s representative, Kasi Viswanathan, said that talks with Faf du Plessis and Stephen Fleming, the captain and head coach of the Joburg Super Kings, are still underway. He stated that’s a conceivable option, albeit it hasn’t been confirmed yet.
In May of this year, Rayudu was a member of the Chennai Super Kings team that won their fifth IPL championship. Tristan Stubbs will be replaced by Rayudu at the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, according to the CPL.
“I’m happy to inform Patriots fans that Ambati Rayudu has been signed as one of our overseas players for the 2023 season,” said Mahesh Ramani, chairman of the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots. As we strive for our second CPL championship in 2023, Ambati’s vast experience—which includes several titles earned with various teams throughout his long career in India—will definitely help the growth of our young players.
August 16 to September 24 are the dates for the 2023 CPL season.
