Kotak, Bahutule, Bali to assist coach Laxman in Ireland

New Delhi: National Cricket Academy (NCA) coaches Sitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule and Munish Bali will be part of the Indian cricket team's support staff, which will be headed by V V S Laxman, on the short tour of Ireland later this month.

Kotak, who has been part of the India 'A' set-up earlier, will be the batting coach while Bali and Bahutule, who were part of the victorious U-19 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean earlier this year, have been handed the fielding and bowling duties.

NCA head Laxman will coach the team in Ireland with the games scheduled on June 26 and June 28 in Malahide.

With head coach Rahul Dravid and the other senior team support staff set to depart for England with the Test squad later this week, the trio of Bali, Kotak and Bahutule has already joined the squad currently playing South Africa at home.

"After the senior support staff departs for the England tour, Bali, Bahutule and Kotak will take over the duties for the remaining T20 against South Africa in Rajkot and Bengaluru.

"They have already been with the limited overs squad for a while and by the time the senior support staff leaves for England, they will be ready for the task," a BCCI official told PTI.

The squad for the Ireland series is yet to be announced. The short tour coincides with the tour of England where India will play the rescheduled fifth Test against England from July 1. India lead the series 2-1.

Before that, India will play a four-day warm up against Leicestershire from Jun 24-27.

India will field a team of primarily T20 specialists against Ireland but a full strength squad is expected for the white-ball leg of England tour comprising three T20Is and as many ODIs from July 7.