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Former India batting coach Vikram Rathour discussed the strategic approach to transitioning the Indian National Cricket Team, emphasizing the challenge of replacing stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rathour emphasized that this process cannot be rushed and should unfold gradually.
He pointed out that the transition phase has already commenced, notably in T20I cricket, following the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja after their triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. This has opened up opportunities for several promising young players to step into the spotlight.
The recent T20I series against Zimbabwe marked a significant step in this transition, where under the leadership of Shubman Gill, a cadre of young talents showcased their potential. India clinched the series 4-1, setting the stage for a new era in Indian cricket.
Players like Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, among others, have demonstrated their capabilities and are poised to lead the team forward. Rathour highlighted the depth of talent in Indian cricket but stressed the importance of managing the transition carefully.
Speaking to PTI, Rathour underscored that the recent Zimbabwe tour provided a glimpse into the future direction of the team. He emphasized that while India has a wealth of talent, the transition must be executed thoughtfully to ensure sustained success.
“It is never going to be easy to replace people of Rohit and Virat’s calibre. The recently concluded [T20I] series against Zimbabwe gave us some glimpse into how the T20 team will look in future. But we still have a few years in Test and ODI cricket to get to that point.”
“I won’t be too concerned about it [the transition]. We have a lot of depth in Indian cricket. There are lots of very talented and skilful players who are coming through the system. The only thing we need to make sure is the transition is done in a controlled manner. It needs to be gradual.”
Vikram Rathour expressed strong support for Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, and other promising young players, urging them to cement their places in the team. He believes that Jaiswal and Gill have the potential to become the linchpins of the team’s batting across all formats once Rohit and Kohli step away from the game completely. Rathour elaborated:
“I am hoping that by then, players like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, to name a few, would establish themselves and will make the transition smooth. In ODIs also, we have experienced players like Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya to take over.
“There are many exciting players coming through but these two [Gill and Jaiswal] are equipped to play all three formats for a long time. They are going to be the backbone of Indian batting in years to come,” he concluded.
