Never going to be easy to replace Rohit and Virat: Vikram Rathour – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Vikram Rathour, the departing batting coach, is aware of the impending challenges that the Indian team will face in the coming years. However, having closely observed and nurtured the current pool of talent, he believes that the team possesses the necessary skills and adaptability to navigate through this transitional phase successfully.

The key, according to Rathour, lies in managing the transition in a “controlled and gradual manner”. While the team will continue to rely on the experience and expertise of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in ODIs and Tests for the time being, it is crucial to recognize that their careers are approaching the final stages.

As a result, the team management must start preparing for the inevitable change in leadership and the void that their eventual departures will create.

“It is never going to be easy to replace people of Rohit and Virat’s calibre,” Rathour, also a former selector, told PTI in an exclusive interview.

“The recently-concluded series against Zimbabwe (on Sunday) gave us some glimpse into how the T20 team will look like in future. But we still have a few years in Test and ODI cricket to get to that point,” said one of the key members of Rahul Dravid’s coaching team.

Rathour, who has held the positions of national selector and coach for the senior team, possesses a deep understanding of the country’s cricketing talent. His experience in these roles has provided him with a unique perspective on the current state of Indian cricket.

“I won’t be too concerned about it. 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.

He believes that by the time Rohit and Kohli hang up their boots, the emerging talents will have firmly established themselves, ready to carry the torch forward for the next decade.

“I am hoping that by then, players like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasavi 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 said in a confident analysis.

Gill and Jaiswal have the potential to become the backbone of India’s batting lineup in the coming years, much like how Kohli and Rohit shouldered the responsibility for over ten years.

“There are many exciting players coming through but these two 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,” the former Punjab skipper said.

Rathour’s opinion carries significance, especially considering his role as a valuable advisor to Dravid over the past three years. When he expresses his belief that Rinku Singh has the potential to excel as a Test batter, it is a statement that deserves attention and consideration.

“When I see him (Rinku) bat in nets, I can’t find any technical reasons why Rinku cannot be a successful Test batter. I understand he has made his name as a terrific finisher in T20 cricket but if you look at his first-class record, he is averaging in high 50s.

“He (Rinku) 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,” Rathour said.

“Always told Virat to believe in his methods”

Rathour consistently encountered inquiries about Kohli’s prolonged slump following the 2019 World Cup at nearly every media interaction. His response remained steadfast, asserting that it was a “phase that everyone has to go through”.

“There were no technical issues that we worked on specifically during this phase. The constant messaging to him was to keep working hard and believe in his methods. Eventually he came back stronger and an even better player,” he said.

Rahul gave us space and honest feedback

Rathour and Dravid first faced each other on the cricket pitch during a domestic match prior to their shared Test debut series in 1996 against England. This marked the beginning of a connection that would span thirty years.

Their long-standing association proved beneficial when they eventually joined forces as part of the coaching team.

“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.

“One of the first discussions we had was about changing the batting template in T20 cricket. We agreed that we needed to bring in more intent and aggression in our batting approach,” he revealed.

Rathour highlighted Axar Patel as an example of a player who addressed the team’s need for a reliable batting choice at the number eight position.

“That made a massive difference and gave the batters in top order lot more freedom to bat.”

Axar was always a good batter and all he needed was opportunity to express himself fearlessly with an “uncomplicated technique”.