Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has praised batting consultant Vikram Rathour for the impact he has made ahead of the T20 World Cup, crediting him for encouraging a more aggressive mindset that has allowed the batters to express themselves with greater freedom. Rathour, who was part of India’s coaching setup that won the 2024 T20 World Cup and spent five years with the team, was appointed Sri Lanka’s batting consultant last month in the build-up to the ICC event.
Speaking at a captains’ day programme alongside seven other skippers, Shanaka underlined Rathour’s influence on the squad. “Vikram Rathore being a good addition to our side,” Shanaka said. “His knowledge and his nature — he always wanted us to go in the attacking mood which allows most players to free themselves which I really do like, he is a good value addition to the team.” Shanaka’s comments come at a time when Sri Lanka have been under pressure due to a string of disappointing results at home since the start of the year. The side suffered a 1-2 T20I series defeat to Pakistan in early January and were then outplayed by England in both white-ball series that concluded earlier this week. While the batting unit struggled in those series, Shanaka stood by his players and rejected the idea of outright failure. “Don’t see any failures in the batters it always depended on the wickets and the choice of shots we played,” Shanaka said, while expressing confidence that there would be improvements during the World Cup. Frustration among supporters boiled over at Pallekele following the T20I series loss two days ago, with local fans venting their anger at the team. Addressing the situation, Shanaka appealed for continued backing from the supporters. “I hope for support from the fans. It is important for us to play well for their sake and for the good of the team. We are aware of the national pride,” he said. “Fans have been supporting us. I will tell the fans that we didn’t play well in the last 3 games to get the correct results though we tried hard. We are sorry for that.” Sri Lanka will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on Sunday.
