NEW DELHI: Modern-day great Virat Kohli secured his 50th ODI century, surpassing legendary Sachin Tendulkar, and played a pivotal role in India’s emphatic 70-run victory over New Zealand in the World Cup semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium. Batting coach Vikram Rathour commended Kohli’s exceptional understanding of his role in the team, highlighting that the star batter requires minimal attention from the coaching staff.
Rathour, speaking to the media after India’s historic win, acknowledged Kohli’s cricketing acumen, stating, “He (Kohli) understands his cricket, and we just help him prepare. If he needs to ask anything, he comes and asks; otherwise, we let him be. He knows what he has to do now, that he needs to get in the right mindspace, and he is in a good mindspace. He bats the way he wants to.”
The batting coach emphasised the team’s delight at Kohli’s milestone century and India’s qualification for the World Cup final, the first in 12 years. Rathour credited Kohli’s continuous hard work on cricket and fitness, describing him as “still really hungry to score more runs.”

Rathour underlined that executing game plans effectively has been the success mantra under Captain Rohit Sharma’s leadership.
“We always believed that we have a very well-settled and intelligent batting group. We adapted very well to the conditions and situations,” he said.

Commenting on the contributions of players like Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin, who played key roles despite limited opportunities, Rathour credited the team management for maintaining a positive environment.

“The credit again to the management, he (Shami) was in a great mindspace even when he was not playing,” Rathour remarked.
With the absence of Hardik Pandya, Rathour shared that he has been working extensively with lower-order batsmen, including Kuldeep Yadav, to address the team’s slightly shorter batting lineup.
As India gear up for the World Cup final, Rathour emphasised the importance of preparation and adapting to challenges in pursuit of cricketing glory.

(With inputs from PTI)