Lakshmipathy Balaji will be the head coach of India A for the upcoming series against Australia A in Puducherry, starting September 22. This is the first time Balaji has been handed a head coaching role with any team representing India.
The former India fast bowler, who took 27 Test wickets and 34 ODI wickets across 38 internationals, moves into the position from his current role as one of three fast bowling coaches at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. He replaces Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who previously held the India A coaching role.
A coaching career built in the IPL brought Balaji here. He served as bowling coach for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 and then moved to Chennai Super Kings from 2018 to 2022, working with one of the most successful bowling units in franchise cricket. As a player, he won two IPL titles, with CSK in 2010 and KKR in 2012.
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The BCCI appointed Balaji to the Centre of Excellence earlier in 2026 after Troy Cooley’s departure in January. Rather than replacing Cooley directly, the board hired three fast bowling coaches, including Balaji, VRV Singh, and P. Krishnakumar. Moving Balaji from that development role to the India A dugout within months signals that the BCCI sees the CoE not just as a training facility but as a coaching pipeline.
The series consists of two unofficial four-day Tests and three unofficial ODIs, all at the Cricket Association Puducherry Siechem Ground. Devdutt Padikkal captains the Test squad with Sai Sudharsan as vice-captain. Ruturaj Gaikwad leads the ODI side, with Padikkal stepping into the deputy role.
Hardik Pandya’s inclusion in the ODI squad, subject to fitness clearance, is the headline selection. He has not played since March 2026. Vipraj Nigam, originally named in the ODI squad, has been replaced by Andhra off-spinner T Vijay after Nigam received a maiden India call-up for the Japan tour.
The Test squad features Tushar Deshpande, Anshul Kamboj, and V Vyshak as the primary pace options. The ODI group includes Yash Thakur and Gurjapneet Singh. These are the bowlers Balaji will work with most closely.
This series carries weight beyond the results. Australia A, coached by former Test captain Tim Paine, are in India specifically to prepare for the 2026-27 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the first Test in Nagpur on January 21, 2027.
“We’ve been coming here as a cricketing nation for a long time and the results over that period haven’t got a hell of a lot better.”
Tim Paine, ahead of the Australia A tour, 2026
“It’s an extremely tough place to come and win. We can’t just expect young guys to nail it without experiencing it beforehand.”
Tim Paine, ahead of the Australia A tour, 2026
Australia’s A squad includes Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Josh Philippe, and Jhye Richardson, all of whom are in direct contention for BGT spots. India A’s players face the same audition in reverse.
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Most India A coaches in recent years have come from batting backgrounds. Balaji brings something different. A seamer who bowled in Pakistan, Australia, and across India knows what it feels like to read conditions from the top of his mark, adjust lengths mid-spell, and manage workload across a four-day match.
That matters in Puducherry. India A’s pace unit is young. Deshpande, Kamboj, and Vyshak are all at stages where one strong series against quality Australian batting can define their trajectory. Balaji has coached bowlers through exactly these moments at CSK and KKR. The difference now is that the decisions are entirely his.
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