Kotak to be in charge of India A for NZ series

Domestic batting stalwart Sitanshu Kotak will be in charge of the India A team in the upcoming series against New Zealand A starting September 1.

Former India leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule will join Kotak in the coaching staff for the three Test matches in Bengaluru and Hubbali, and three one dayers in Chennai.

Normally the NCA chief heads the A teams, but with VVS Laxman named interim head coach of the senior team after Rahul Dravid tested positive for COVID-19, Kotak was given the job.

The BCCI now has a pool of coaches employed under the aegis of NCA and they are rotated across assignments of A, Emerging (U20) and U19 teams.

At times, they are also sent on overlapping senior team assignments, like Kotak was in Ireland and Hrishikesh Kanitkar was in Zimbabwe.

Kanitkar is likely to oversee the U-23 Emerging Intra NCA tournament.