Laxman Looks Beyond India’s 15-Man Squad for Training Support
India will take a strong pace attack to the Asian Games, but VVS Laxman does not want Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana carrying the full bowling load before the tournament even begins.
Laxman, who will oversee the men’s team in Japan, has requested three specialist net bowlers for the pre-tournament training period. Mayank Yadav, Kartik Tyagi and Mohsin Khan have been identified for the assignment, according to reports.
The BCCI is pursuing Japanese visas for the trio.
Their proposed roles need to be distinguished from those of the 15 players selected for the competition. Mayank, Tyagi and Mohsin are not being added to India’s playing squad. They would travel primarily to bowl during practice and are expected to remain with the team until the opening fixture if the necessary arrangements are completed.
For a side entering directly into knockout cricket, that preparation period carries more weight than usual.
Three Pacers, Three Different Training Options
The selection of the three bowlers appears designed to give India’s batters more than additional bowling volume.
Mayank offers outright speed. His ability to bowl at high pace gives the batting group a demanding practice option without requiring Bumrah or the other frontline quicks to repeatedly operate at match intensity.
Tyagi adds another right-arm fast-bowling option and has been part of India’s wider pool of promising pace bowlers for several years.
Mohsin provides the point of difference. The left-arm seamer can change the angle of attack and give batters preparation against a style that neither Mayank nor Tyagi replicates.
Taken together, the trio would allow Laxman and his coaching staff to run longer pace-bowling sessions while varying the challenge presented to the batters.
That is the practical purpose of the arrangement. They are training resources, not three additional selections for the tournament.
The Main Attack Does Not Need Extra Overs Before a Knockout Game
India’s official pace resources already include Bumrah, Arshdeep and Rana, while the squad has further seam-bowling options through its all-rounders.
Using those bowlers heavily in the nets would be possible. It would not necessarily be desirable.
Fast-bowling workloads are managed carefully during international assignments, particularly when players are preparing for matches in a compressed tournament. Every demanding training spell adds to the physical load accumulated before competition.
Net bowlers allow coaches to separate batting preparation from the workload of the match attack.
Bumrah, for example, can complete the bowling volume considered appropriate for his own preparation rather than having to continue simply because the batting group needs another extended session.
For India, that calculation becomes more relevant because there is no long group stage in which the side can settle into the competition.
India Enters Directly at the Quarterfinal Stage
India is scheduled to begin its Asian Games campaign on September 28, entering directly in the quarterfinals.
Its opponent will come through the preliminary phase.
The format shortens the route to a medal but also removes much of the margin for error. India cannot use several league matches to adjust to the venue, pitches or tournament rhythm. A poor quarterfinal performance could end the campaign immediately.
That makes the days before the first match an important part of Laxman’s preparation.
Shreyas Iyer will captain a squad that combines established internationals with younger players. Bumrah, Arshdeep and Rana lead the pace department, while Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi provide specialist spin.
Axar Patel and Washington Sundar strengthen the spin and all-round options. Shivam Dube and Nitish Kumar Reddy can contribute seam bowling alongside their batting.
The batting resources include Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, while Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are among the wicketkeeping options.
The additional net bowlers would therefore complement an already well-stocked squad rather than cover an obvious weakness in it.
Mayank Yadav Gives India Access to Genuine Pace in Practice
Mayank is the most eye-catching of the three proposed additions because of the speed he can generate.
Batting against genuine pace requires different preparation from facing conventional medium-fast bowling. Reaction time is reduced, decision-making has to be quicker and errors in footwork are exposed more sharply.
Having Mayank available in the nets would allow India’s batters to work against that challenge without placing the same training demand on the tournament attack.
There is also value for the bowler.
Although travelling as a net bowler does not carry the same status as selection in the official squad, spending time inside an India camp provides exposure to international preparation, senior players and the national coaching structure.
Tyagi and Mohsin would receive similar access while serving a clear training purpose for the team.
Laxman Returns to Defend India’s Asian Games Gold
The assignment is familiar territory for Laxman.
He coached India’s men at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where the team won the gold medal. He will now oversee the title defence at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Laxman heads cricket operations at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, giving him an established role in India’s player-development structure as well as experience stepping in with national teams.
Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Sunil Joshi and Subhadeep Ghosh are part of the coaching group assisting him for the Asian Games.
Gautam Gambhir, India’s regular head coach, is due to remain with the senior team for its home assignment against the West Indies.
Running separate coaching groups allows the BCCI to manage overlapping commitments without disrupting the senior team’s schedule.
Specialist Net Bowlers Are Now a Routine Part of Major Tours
The proposed arrangement is not unusual in international cricket.
Teams regularly travel with additional bowlers who are not members of the match squad, particularly during major tournaments and overseas tours. Their value lies in allowing coaches to design practice around the opposition or conditions without overworking the players expected to compete.
Sometimes the selection is highly specific. A left-arm quick can be used to prepare for a particular angle of attack. An express pacer can test reaction time. Wrist-spinners or bowlers with unusual actions may be brought in when the next opponent presents a similar threat.
India’s proposed trio follows the same logic.
Mayank supplies speed, Mohsin changes the angle with his left-arm pace, and Tyagi provides another high-quality fast-bowling option. Together, they increase the number and variety of deliveries India’s batters can face before the tournament.
A Small Addition With a Clear Purpose
Laxman’s request does not change the balance of India’s Asian Games squad, nor should the three bowlers be described as late additions to the playing group.
Their importance lies elsewhere.
India enters the competition as defending champion and begins immediately in a knockout match. The coaching staff therefore has a limited window to prepare the batting unit while keeping the frontline attack fresh.
Taking Mayank Yadav, Kartik Tyagi and Mohsin Khan would give Laxman greater control over both sides of that equation.
If their visas and travel plans are completed, much of their work may be finished before India plays its first match.
For a tournament in which the first match can also be the last, those practice sessions could be the reason Laxman wants them there.
