NEW DELHI: India batting coach Vikram Rathour acknowledged on Friday that Virat Kohli has faced challenges during the current T20 World Cup. However, Rathour pointed out that Kohli's struggles have provided an opportunity for the team's less experienced players to rise to the occasion and make valuable contributions.
On Thursday, India showcased their dominance against Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, securing a strong start to their Super 8s campaign.
Despite the team's success, Kohli continued to face difficulties during the powerplay, managing only 24 runs off 24 balls. This innings marked his first double-digit score in the tournament.
"I'm not happy. I would love it if he gets going and scores more runs," Rathour said, as quoted by PTI, 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 of 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.
Rishabh Pant showcased his skills with a noteworthy performance, while Suryakumar Yadav's magnificent half-century proved to be the turning point in the match against Afghanistan.
The Indian team is set to face Bangladesh in Antigua on Saturday. With a squad that includes four spinners, India appear well-equipped to tackle the conditions in the Caribbean, potentially giving them an edge in the upcoming encounter.
"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," he said.
The former India opener anticipates that the playing conditions in the Caribbean will be significantly improved compared to those encountered in New York, where the Indian team participated in a trio of matches.
"We already played in the worst possible conditions in New York. So, anything after that is feeling good only. So, I am expecting wickets to be better (here)," said Rathour.
Bangladesh enter the match following a defeat against Australia and are considered one of the tournament's less challenging opponents.
However, Rathour emphasized that India will not take any risks or make assumptions.
"They're a good unit. They have a lot of guys who can spin the ball and they are good in certain conditions. And these conditions do suit them a little as a team I think because the wickets seem to have a bit of help for the spinners and they do have spinners in their team.
"But again, in this format I think every team is a tough team. I don't believe any contest in T20 cricket is an easy contest," he added.