On Virat Kohli's "Biggest Quality" As Batter, Coach Vikram Rathour's Claim

India's batting coach Vikram Rathour on Sunday said that Virat Kohli's biggest quality as a batter is his ability to adapt. Rathour's remark came ahead of India's second Test against West Indies which is set to begin on July 20. The stalwart batter Virat Kohli looked at his best in the first Test of India's tour of the West Indies. He contributed 76 runs with his bat on a surface that was best suited for the spinners.  His knock was quite special as it came under a circumstance in which the ball turned sharply with an uneven bounce. The off-spin as well as the googly have troubled Kohli a lot in the past. 

But he adapted according to the situation as well as the requirements of the team. Kohli's defensive stance as well as technique was on point and Rathour said that it was a lesson for youngsters to learn from.  

"As a batting coach, I believe that cricket is about adaptability. He is an aggressive player who likes to dominate definitely but a better player is one who can change his game. A player who can play according to the conditions and team requirements is a better player. This is his biggest quality. He can play different forms differently. He can change his game according to the conditions. He showed it on a wicket that was turning a lot. The way he defended against the left-arm spinner was a lesson for many youngsters," Rathour said in a press conference ahead of the second Test. 

He also gave his views on Kohli's inability to score a century for over one thousand days.  According to him, a lean phase was due for the ace batter after the form that Kohli enjoyed for the majority of his career. 

While looking at his recent performances, Rathour believes that Kohli isn't far away from scoring another century. 

"Virat's good form continued for many years. He scored runs consistently for 7 to 8 years. The cricket logic says that the lean phase was about to come. When he lost momentum it went on for some time. Out of five years, he didn't score a hundred approximately three of them went in Covid. The games took place in breakages or with restrictions. There is not much to look at because he is batting well. The way he is playing he will score a century," Rathour added.

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Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Virat Kohli West Indies vs India, 2023 Cricket