New Delhi: Indian cricket team’s new batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is looking forward to working with under-pressure superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as they aim to revive form in domestic cricket.
Kotak had been promoted to the senior team after extensive work at the India A level and the National Cricket Academy and has taken over after India’s Test series defeats to New Zealand and Australia.
He has joined the team for the ongoing home T20I series against England where India lead 2-0 in the five game series with the third match set to be played in Rajkot on Tuesday.
His first tough assignment would be the Champions Trophy that begins on February 19, with India playing their group stages matches in Dubai where Pakistan await them on February 23.
But before that he would be initiated to the ways of skipper Rohit and Kohli in a the three-match ODI series against England that begins after the T20I series on February 6.
“See, Rohit and Virat are very senior players, 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 game, where they think and then if we can add something, that is how I think,” Kotak said.
“If I can add value to 2%, 5%, that is a great thing, because the amount of cricket they have played and the way they have performed, it would not be unfair to say. There might be a lot of things for me also to learn from them.”
“That is the way this game goes, you have to be open and you have to be ready to learn. If they are in a mindset, during that point of time, if they are ready to take any inputs, yes, I would have certain things in my mind and I will say it, but it has to be at the right time and they should feel that they are ready for that,” the former Saurashtra cricketer added.
‘Familiarity an advantage’
The BCCI is yet to announce the duration of Kotak’s contract but he is expected to be a long term one including India’s five-Test series in England in June.
Since he is familiar with most of the players, it would be beneficial for him, Kotak said, adding that minsdet of batters is key since batting is T20 oriented is modern cricket with lessening importance given to defensive technique.
“Yes, a lot of boys I know, apart from Rohit and Virat, I have not worked with them. The rest of them, I think all of them, I have worked with either in A series or at NCA,” Kotak said.
“I personally believe, because of T20, we see a lot of aggressive cricket. I wouldn’t say that they can’t defend. They can defend.
“It is more about the plans and the mindset for me. So, going forward, depending on wickets, because Australia was different, Indian wickets were different and the next series (Tests) will be in England.
“That will be a different challenge as well. So, how well we can plan and how we can execute those plans, that will be important,” he added.
Sitanshu Kotak has joined the Indian team as the new batting coach and will work with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the first time in their three-match ODI series against England that begins on February 6 Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
