Former India pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji will be the head coach of India-A for the upcoming series against Australia-A in Puducherry.
Balaji, who is currently working with the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) as a bowling coach, confirmed the development to Sportstar.
The tour begins with two unofficial Tests, the first of which starts Tuesday, followed by three One-Dayers.
With CoE head V.V.S. Laxman expected to travel with the Indian T20I side for the Asian Games, Balaji has been handed the reins of the A side. Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Sunil Joshi, who have served as India-A head coach in the past, will also reportedly be in Japan.
The 44-year-old Balaji called time on his playing career in 2016 and has since worked as a bowling coach with IPL sides Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. He was also a player-coach with Tamil Nadu during the 2015-16 season.
The India-A squad will be led by Devdutt Padikkal and includes internationals B. Sai Sudharsan and Anshul Kamboj.
Published on Sep 21, 2026
