VVS Laxman could be in line for a major new role within Indian cricket as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) considers a reshuffle of key positions in September. According to reports, the board is discussing the creation of a Director of Cricket position, with Laxman emerging as a potential candidate for the expanded role.
The development comes after months of speculation about Laxman’s future with the Indian team. While he had previously been mentioned as a possible option for the red-ball coaching setup, reports suggested he was not keen on taking up a conventional coaching role. The proposed Director of Cricket position could instead give the former India batter a broader influence over the country’s cricket operations.
VVS Laxman Tipped for New BCCI Director of Cricket Role Amid Major Reshuffle
VVS Laxman could be handed a much larger role in Indian cricket if the BCCI goes ahead with its proposed restructuring later this year. According to an India Today report, the board is considering appointing Laxman as Director of Cricket, a position that would expand his responsibilities beyond his current role as head of the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Ajit Agarkar’s tenure as chairman of the senior men’s selection committee is also due to end in September, with the BCCI reportedly weighing an extension until June 2027 or including the post in the wider reshuffle.
Laxman’s growing involvement with the national setup has strengthened his case for such a position. He has stepped in as interim head coach on several occasions when the regular coaching staff was unavailable and most recently guided a young Indian side to a 3-0 T20I series win in Zimbabwe while Gautam Gambhir and his support staff took a break. Unlike a traditional coaching job, the proposed Director of Cricket role would focus more on long-term planning, talent development, workload management and coordination between selectors, coaches and the Centre of Excellence.
The timing could also prove significant as the BCCI prepares for the next World Cup cycle, with the 2027 ODI World Cup among the major targets. Laxman had previously been considered to replace Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach in 2024 but chose to remain with the Centre of Excellence following its restructuring. Since then, he has continued to play a key role in India’s player-development pathway, making a potential promotion to a broader cricket administration role a natural next step.
VVS Laxman’s 4 Key Responsibilities as BCCI Director of Cricket
If the BCCI goes ahead with the proposed Director of Cricket role, VVS Laxman could become the central figure overseeing India’s cricket operations across both the men’s and women’s teams. Sport Today’s Nikil Naz said the position would be different from the Test head coach or selectors’ job and could be the first role of its kind for the board. He noted that the BCCI has previously had general managers of cricket, including Saba Karim and Dr M.V. Sridhar, but Laxman’s proposed responsibilities would be far broader.
The role would reportedly cover four key areas: performance reviews, appointments, selection and overall management. Laxman would assess the team’s performance after disappointing results, question players and coaching staff when necessary, and oversee major appointments such as coaches and support staff. He would also work closely with selectors, coaches and captains on squad decisions across the senior, India A and junior teams, while managing workload, player development and India’s overall bench strength.
A Director of Cricket could also bring greater accountability to a system where responsibility is often divided between selectors, coaches, medical teams and captains. Laxman’s experience with the BCCI Centre of Excellence and different levels of Indian cricket would give him strong institutional knowledge for the job. If the proposal becomes official and the position receives genuine authority, it could represent a major change in how Indian cricket is managed.
