VVS Laxman poised for BCCI Director of Cricket role as board eyes September reshuffle

VVS Laxman is likely to be appointed Director of Cricket by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, India Today reported on August 14, 2026, as the BCCI prepares for a possible reshuffle of key positions in September.

Laxman, a former India batter, currently heads the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and has been overseeing player development and high-performance programmes there. Sources told India Today that he is likely to be given the Director of Cricket role, though the BCCI has not officially confirmed any appointment or the structure of the proposed position. There have also been reports that the board could extend Ajit Agarkar's tenure as chairman of the senior selection committee until June 2027.

The proposed Director of Cricket role, as described in the reports, would expand Laxman's remit beyond the Centre of Excellence and place him at the centre of India’s wider cricket operations. The position would potentially involve coordinating between the senior team, selectors, coaches, the Centre of Excellence and the various stages of India’s player pathway. It could also be tasked with providing continuity in talent identification, player development and high-performance planning.

At the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, Laxman has been responsible for overseeing player development and high-performance programmes and has worked with players across both senior and pathway systems. That work has been presented in the reports as a natural extension of the duties that a Director of Cricket might assume if the role is finalised.

Laxman has remained closely involved with the senior team and has stepped in as interim coach when required; most recently he guided a young India side to a 3-0 T20I series win in Zimbabwe while Gautam Gambhir and his regular support staff were rested after the England tour. His successful interim stint in Zimbabwe was cited in discussions about his possible future role, even as he has previously indicated his primary focus remains his work at the Centre of Excellence.

Laxman took over leadership of the BCCI’s revamped Centre of Excellence after choosing to continue in that role rather than succeed Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach in 2024. Since then he has been described in the reports as playing a central role in India’s player-development structure and has defended the CoE’s wider purpose amid questions over recurring injuries.

Ajit Agarkar’s term as chief selector is due to expire in September, a timing the reports say puts the selection structure under the spotlight ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup; the BCCI’s final decision on any reshuffle, the exact responsibilities of the Director of Cricket role or an extension of Agarkar’s tenure remains unconfirmed by the board.