On 5th September, 2019, Former Indian batsman Vikram Rathour was appointed as the batting coach of Team India replacing Sanjay Bangar. The former India opener was the favourite to replace Bangar even before the start of the process. Bangar had joined team India’s backroom staff in 2014 and has completed five years.
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Vikram Rathour will join the team before the home series against South Africa that starts on 15th September.
While Rathour will be a new face in the staff, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar are set to keep their positions. Both of them were selectors’ top choices in their respective categories and will remain to be part of the team for the next two years as well.
Here’s a look at the profile of Vikram Rathour, the new batting coach of Indian cricket team –
Vikram Rathour is a former Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, player. He played for both the state teams in his domestic career that spanned from 1988 to 2003.
Rathour played six Test matches and seven ODIs. His Test debut came against England in Birmingham while his ODI debut came against Pakistan in Sharjah.
In 146 first-class matches, Rathour scored 11473 runs at an average of 49.66, that included 33 centuries and 49 half-centuries. In 99 List A matches, he scored 3161 runs at 33.98.
He is a former national selector. Rathour served as a selector for four years, from 2012 to 2016 under the chairmanship of Sandeep Patil.
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Apart from playing for Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, he also coached both the sides. Before 2017/18 domestic season, he was appointed as Himachal Pradesh’s Director of Cricket. He has also been part of Kings XI Punjab’s coaching staff in IPL.
In the race to become the batting coach, he had a strong competitor in the form of Pravin Amre, Mark Ramprakash, Jonathan Trott and many others. He finished at the top of the list. following him were Sanjay Bangar and Mark Ramprakash, who served as England’s batting coach for five years.
