Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour reveals management have identified core group for the T20 World Cup
India’s batting coach Vikram Rathour has revealed that the team management have already identified its core group of players for the T20 World Cup which will be played later in the year.
India are currently taking on New Zealand in a five-match T20I series and have registered two emphatic wins to take a 2-0 lead.
Having fielded unchanged sides in both games, Virat Kohli has entrusted a certain group of players to deliver and is sticking with them even if they haven’t quite got going yet.
Rathour insisted that small tweaks will be made till the very last minute, although the team management have identified the core group of players heading into the T20 World Cup in Australia.
"Adjustments will keep going on till the last minute. But as far as I am concerned and the team management is concerned, we have the core. We know what our team is going to be. Unless there is a case of injury or really bad loss in form, I don't see many changes happening," said Rathour.
At the start of the year, skipper Kohli stated that all the T20I series in the prelude to the World Cup are going to be about identifying fearless match-winners, who can assume responsibility in the face of adversity and prove their mettle by dragging the team over the line from a crisis situation.
So far against the Kiwis, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, and Manish Pandey have shown great resolve, with Iyer, in particular, experiencing a breakout of sorts on the international stage courtesy his swashbuckling innings in both the T20I’s.
Rathour spoke about how Iyer’s mindset and belief in his own abilities makes him a brilliant player, whilst also expressing satisfaction about the young guns stepping up and assuming responsibility.
"Apart from having those (batting) skills, I think the mindset is amazing. He (Iyer) believes he is a big player, and he is, without any doubt. He genuinely believes that he is a match-winner and he is here to stay. And that mindset I think helps him, that is the biggest advantage he has," he said.
"The more opportunities that these guys get, they are showing that they are capable. They are showing that they are match-winners on their day,” Rathour concluded.