'I’m Not Happy, But...': India Batting Coach Vikram Rathour on Virat Kohli's Lean Patch in T20 World Cup

Virat Kohli was in top form ahead of the start of T20 World Cup. (AP Photo)

Team India has been on a winning spree in the ongoing T20 World Cup, in the USA and the West Indies. After finishing as the best team in Group A, Rohit Sharma & Co defeated Afghanistan in the opening game of the Super 8 on Wednesday. A victory in their next fixture, against Afghanistan, will take them closer to the semis and batting coach Vikram Rathour wishes to see Virat Kohli rediscovering his lost rhythm.

Kohli entered the tournament after enjoying a purple patch in the IPL. He ended the season with 741 runs and the Orange Cap. However, his performance in the ongoing tournament has been far from what he showcased back home. So far, he has managed scores of 1, 4, 0, and 24 in four outings while a big knock is still awaited from one of the greatest batters in the contest.

Addressing the pre-match presser, batting coach Rathour said he would love to see Kohli get back among runs but he added that the former captain’s lean run is allowing the less experienced players to step up and contribute to the team’s cause.

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“I’m not happy. I would love it if he gets going and scores more runs,” Rathour said when asked about the team’s unbeaten run in the event without Kohli’s contribution.

“But yeah, it is good when you are challenged at times. You know, the guys who are not getting too much batting in India sometimes, they are the ones who put up scores today and our middle-order came to play. So, it was good to see,” he said.

India will play Bangladesh in Antigua on Saturday. The squad has four spinners and considering the conditions in the Caribbean, it makes the team stronger.

“We’ve always had depth as a team, I believe. But yeah, these conditions maybe suit us more because we can afford to play two or three spinners at times. So that I believe can be our best team. That is our strength.

“It feels like…somebody like Axar (Patel) playing at eight gives you a lot of confidence because he can bat and he’s bowling really well at the moment. So, it does give you a lot of options,” Rathour said.

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