IND vs ENG third T20I: Looking forward to working with veterans and guide youngsters, says Sitanshu Kotak

Sitanshu Kotak joins Indian team as batting coach, focusing on improving performance of senior players and guiding youngsters effectively.

Sitanshu Kotak was SoSed into the Indian dugout as batting coach ahead of the England T20Is after the team’s dismal show with the willow in Australia.

The inability of the India batters — including seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — to adjust to the conditions Down Under was a major point of discussion.

Kotak, however, is not worried about the sudden nature of the call-up and is looking forward to working with the veterans and guiding the youngsters.

“Rohit and Virat are very senior players. 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 to learn from them. That is the way this game goes,” Kotak said during the pre-match press conference of the third T20I at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.

When asked if he has anything specific to convey to Rohit and Kohli, Kotak added: “If they are in a mindset 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.”

Kotak opined that a proper “plan and mindset” are needed to strike the right balance between aggression and defence.

“We see a lot of batters playing aggressive cricket because of T20. I wouldn’t say they cannot defend. Australian pitches were different, Indian wickets were different and the next series will be in England. That will be a different challenge. So, how well we can execute our plans will be more important”.