The shifting tides of Indian cricket have found a confident beacon in Vikram Rathour, who until recently served as the batting coach for the India Men’s team. Rathour has voiced his optimism for a smooth transition in the coming years, specifically pointing towards young talents Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the future architects of Indian batting. This optimism comes on the heels of the recently-concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe, where India triumphed 4-1 despite fielding a relatively second-string team. The series offered a preview of a new era, one that dawns with the retirements of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from the T20 format.
While this transition period naturally poses challenges, Rathour emphasized the importance of managing it effectively. “It is never going to be easy to replace people of Rohit and Virat’s calibre,” Rathour told PTI candidly. Yet, he expressed confidence in the depth of Indian cricket, highlighting that the transition must be conducted in a gradual and controlled manner to ensure success. “We have a lot of depth in Indian cricket,” he asserted. “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.”
He also underscored the readiness of the next generation to take over when the time comes: “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.”
Rathour’s eye for talent seems especially spot-on when observing the likes of Gill and Jaiswal. “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 said, marking them as cornerstones of the future.
The praise wasn’t limited to just Gill and Jaiswal, as Rathour reserved special mention for Rinku Singh.
. Singh, despite not being selected for the Indian team for the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup, has demonstrated exceptional skill at the international level since his debut in August last year. With an impressive average of 83.2 and a strike rate of 176.27 across 23 T20Is, Singh has proven to be a reliable finisher. His rise in international cricket followed stellar performances during the 2023 IPL season.
Rathour shed further light on Singh’s potential, emphasizing his versatility. “When I see him bat in nets, I can’t find any technical reasons why Rinku cannot be a successful Test batter,” Rathour remarked. Citing Singh’s first-class cricket statistics, which showcase an average of 54.7 across 47 games, Rathour added, “He is also blessed with a very calm temperament. So all these factors indicate that if given an opportunity, he can develop into a Test cricketer.”
In the broader context of Indian cricket’s future, Rathour credited Rahul Dravid with a transformative influence on the team, particularly in T20 cricket. “Rahul is the best coach that I have worked with, who gives you lots of space to work, is open to suggestions and will provide you an honest feedback,” he stated. Their collaborative effort aimed at injecting more intent and aggression in India’s T20 batting approach has been pivotal. Rathour specifically highlighted the strategic decision to include both Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja in the playing XI. “That made a massive difference and gave the batters in top order lot more freedom to bat,” he observed.
As Indian cricket looks ahead, Rathour’s insights illuminate a pathway marked by cautious optimism and strategic planning. With talents like Gill, Jaiswal, and Rinku Singh in the wings and experienced hands like Dravid guiding the helm, the future of Indian batting seems poised for a promising evolution.