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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has delayed the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the men's senior team, with VVS Laxman set to lead the Indian squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.

 

Gambhir, a former India cricketer and World Cup-winning squad member, is expected to succeed Rahul Dravid as head coach after the ICC T20 World Cup.

 

Rahul Dravid, the current head coach, has announced that he will not reapply for the role, making the ongoing ICC event his final assignment.

 

Following the T20 World Cup, India is scheduled for a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in July, during which senior players are expected to be rested.

 

According to recent reports, Gambhir will not be traveling with the team to Zimbabwe.

 

Instead, VVS Laxman, chief of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), will accompany the Indian squad.

 

Laxman, along with his NCA support staff, will join the team for the T20I series next month.

 

The BCCI is set to announce India's squad for the T20Is later this week, with the selectors focusing on top performers from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

 

Either Suryakumar Yadav or Hardik Pandya is likely to lead the youthful Indian side for the series.

 

"There is a possibility that Laxman, along with some NCA coaches, will travel with the new-look squad to Zimbabwe. Laxman and the NCA team have consistently filled in whenever Rahul Dravid and the primary team coaches have taken periodic breaks," a BCCI source told the news agency.

 

Regarding Gambhir's appointment, the former India opener is expected to edge out former women's team head coach WV Raman for the top job.

 

The report indicates that Gambhir's appointment is a 'mere formality,' with Dravid's successor set to be unveiled in the coming days.

 

Gambhir will commence his coaching tenure with the Sri Lanka series, where India will tour for a white-ball series featuring three T20Is and three One Day Internationals (ODIs) next month.