VVS Laxman says it is a matter of pride to play in the Asian Games 2023

VVS Laxman is the Head Coach of Indian team for Asian Games 2023.

Indian men’s team are set to commence their Asian Games 2023 campaign on Tuesday against Nepal directly in the quarter-finals round. Indian women’s team won the gold medal last week in Asian Games 2023 after defeating Sri Lanka in the gold medal match. Harmanpreet Kaur-led side scripted history for India as they became the first to grab a medal in cricket from Indian side.

Now, similar expectations are there for the men's team. BCCI sent a second-string squad for the biggest Asian sports exhibition. The senior men’s team is busy with cricket’s most prestigious prize, World Cup, and the board has given youngsters opportunities. VVS Laxman has also travelled with the team as head coach. Head coach VVS Laxman has expressed that it is a great pride to play in Asian Games.

Laxman says 'It is a matter of pride'  

Indian men’s coach for the Asian Games 2023, VVS Laxman, said, “It is very different. I never thought that we would come to China to play cricket. It is a great opportunity for the entire team because participating in the Asian Games is a big opportunity and a matter of great pride for all these players. So we are looking forward to this tournament."

India, being a top-seeded team, was directly placed in the quarter-finals along with other higher-ranked teams, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the young side. This event will be a great opportunity for the youngsters to pursue their case in Indian T20I side before the next T20 World Cup scheduled to be played in West Indies and USA.

Along with Ruturaj Gaikwad, young sensations like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, and Ravi Bishnoi are in the squad. Nepal have the opportunity to play against India twice in the last few months. They had a dominating performance in the league round and got T20I cricket’s biggest margin win against Mongolia. Nepal won the game by 273 runs.