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Vikram Rathour, India’s batting coach, addressed concerns within the team management regarding Virat Kohli’s recent batting struggles at the T20 World Cup 2024. Rathour conveyed optimism about Kohli’s potential to excel and contribute significantly during the Super 8 phase of the ongoing ICC tournament.
Despite an outstanding performance for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2024, where Virat Kohli topped the run-scoring charts with 741 runs at an impressive average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.70, including a century and five fifties, the veteran cricketer struggled to replicate that form in the T20 World Cup 2024. Kohli, aged 35, could only muster five runs across three innings for the national team, averaging a disappointing 1.67 with a strike rate of 55.56. His tournament woes included being dismissed for a golden duck against the United States of America (USA).
No Concern at All – Vikram Rathour
Following India’s match against Canada being washed out, Vikram Rathour brushed aside concerns regarding Virat Kohli’s form and instead emphasized the former Indian captain’s impressive displays during IPL 2024.
“I love it when every time I come there is a question about Virat Kohli, whether he is doing well or not. No concern at all, no concern at all,” Rathour said.
“He (Kohli) has been batting superbly from the tournament that he came from (IPL). A couple of dismissals here, don’t change anything, he is batting really well,” he added
Virat Kohli Is A Little Hungrier – Vikram Rathour
Vikram Rathour conveyed strong belief in Virat Kohli’s capacity to bounce back during crucial moments. The Indian batting coach noted that Kohli appears more determined, hinting at his readiness to deliver standout performances in the forthcoming matches.
“Actually, it’s good that he is a little hungrier, he is really keen to do well and really switched on. It’s a good space to be as a batsman, I think. Looking forward to some good games and we’ve watched some good innings from him,” he added.
Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the team progressed to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup with three successive victories. Their last group match against Canada ended in a washout due to rain. India is scheduled to commence their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, June 20th.
Need To Be A Flexible Team – Vikram Rathour
At 55 years old, Rathour stressed the significance of adaptability in their strategy, noting the need to adjust according to the prevailing match conditions. He emphasized the team’s readiness to manage different scenarios depending on the conditions prevailing on the day of the match.
“Again, we need to be a flexible team. We need to look at the conditions that are in front of us and be ready to deal with those. So as a team, we are going to be really flexible, I think. We’ll react to what (conditions) we get on the day. We have enough sources in our team to deal with any kind of conditions,” Rathour added
