The former Indian batsman VVS Laxman has decided to stay on as the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for an additional year or more. His original three-year deal expires in September of this year.

An IPL team was interested in hiring Laxman as their head coach, but his NCA responsibilities will now prevent him from taking on that post at this time. His group of coaches, which includes legendary figures from Indian domestic cricket Shitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar, is likely to assist him. 

The extension of Laxman’s contract coincides with the groundbreaking of a brand-new, cutting-edge NCA campus on Bengaluru’s outskirts. The site was approved for a 99-year lease by the Karnataka government, while the foundation for it was laid in January 2022

The NCA is nearing completion and is thought to have at least 100 pitches, 45 pitches indoors, three grounds the size of an international stadium, a state-of-the-art recovery center, hotel accommodations, Olympic-sized pools, and a plethora of other features. It will probably start operating in the first part of 2025.

Building on the already extensive India A tour schedule that he has carried over from Rahul Dravid’s reign would be one of Laxman’s major tasks. However, recently, it has been hindered by a packed international schedule.

Laxman has expanded upon the strong procedures already in place for injury management, player rehabilitation, coaching programs, and creating roadmaps for the senior teams, age groups, and women’s cricket during his first three years at the NCA.