Sitanshu Kotak, the new batting coach of India, has expressed that the extensive expertise of captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli is such that he may learn a few things from the veteran batters. After a disastrous run that resulted in the team missing out on the World Test Championship final, Kotak was appointed as India’s new batting coach. The perpetually out of form batting lineup was at the heart of the team’s struggles.
Rohit and Kohli were at the forefront of this phenomenon, as both batters concluded the 2024/25 season with batting averages that were not typically associated with them at their zenith. “Rohit and Virat are extremely experienced players.” Kotak responded to inquiries during a pre-match press conference prior to the third T20I against England on Tuesday, stating, “But even the players we have now, it is a lot more about sharing, a lot to try and understand how they are planning their games, where they think, and then if we can add something, that’s how I think, if I can add value to 2 and 5 percent, that’s a great thing.”
“Given the volume of cricket they have played and the level of performance they have achieved, it would not be unfair to suggest that there are numerous lessons I could learn from them.” This is the manner in which this game proceeds. He further stated, “You must be receptive and prepared to learn.”
In my mind, I would have specific ideas in mind…
Despite scoring a century in the first Test against Australia in Perth, Kohli averaged 22.47 in 19 Test innings during the 2024/25 season. Rohit, on the other hand, maintained an unimpressive performance throughout the season and concluded it with an astonishing average of 10.93 in 15 innings.
Kotak is confident that he will be willing to provide Virat and Rohit with his input at the appropriate time. “Yes, provided that they are prepared to accept any inputs during that period and are in a state of mind.” “I will have specific ideas that I would like to share, but it must be at the appropriate time and they must feel prepared for it,” he stated.
