sri lanka captain darsang shanaka Praise for batting consultant Vikram Rathore In recognition of the impact he had made ahead of the T20 World Cup, he was praised for encouraging a more aggressive mentality that allowed batsmen to express themselves more freely. Latour was part of the Indian coaching staff that won the 2024 T20 World Cup and worked with the team for five years. Last month, he was appointed as Sri Lanka’s batting consultant in the run-up to the ICC tournament.
Shanaka, who spoke at the Captain’s Day event along with seven other captains, highlighted Latour’s impact on the team. “Vikram Rathore is a great addition for us,” Shanaka said. “His knowledge and his character – he always wants us to be in an attacking position and that frees up most of the players, which I really like and he’s a great value addition to the team.” Shanaka’s comments come as Sri Lanka have been under pressure since the start of the year over a series of disappointing results domestically. The team lost the T20I series 1-2 to Pakistan in early January and were subsequently defeated by England in both white-ball series that concluded earlier this week. When the batsmen struggled in the series, Shanaka stood by his players and refused to entertain the idea of ​​total defeat. “Don’t see any failure from the batsmen, it always depends on the wickets and our batting choices,” Shanaka said while expressing confidence that there will be improvement during the World Cup. Frustration among Palleke fans boiled over after the T20I series defeat two days ago, with local fans venting their anger on the team. In response to this situation, Shanaka called on supporters to continue to provide support. “I hope to have the support of the fans. It is important for us that we have to play well for their benefit and that of the team. We are aware of the national pride,” he said. “The fans have always supported us. I will tell the fans that we have not performed well in the last three games and although we tried hard, we did not get the right results. We are sorry for that.” Sri Lanka will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on Sunday.
