ANI
17 Feb 2026, 22:30 GMT+10
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], February 17 (ANI): India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak dismissed suggestions of a weak link in the batting line-up against spinners in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
He also asserted that the team executed its plans effectively and showed no deviation from strategy during their previous group A match against arch-rivals Pakistan.
During the pre-match press conference ahead of their final group match against the Netherlands, Kotak pointed out that India's score of 175 in the India-Pakistan clash remained the highest total in the history of the T20 World Cup against arch-rivals.
The Indian batting coach also backed struggling Tilak Varma, saying he played exactly what the team wanted against Pakistan.
Varma played a scratchy knock of 25 off 24 balls, with two fours and one six against Pakistan. However, India won the one-sided contest by 61 runs after Pakistan failed to chase down the 176-run target. This was India's eighth victory over arch-rivals in the history of the T20 World Cup.
'No, I don't think so. Because what we had planned... By the way, India's 175 against Pakistan in the World Cup is the highest score in the T20 World Cup so far. So I think we executed what we had planned. Every player has a precise role that should not be discussed much. But I think Tilak played exactly the way the team wanted,' Kotak said.
The coach stressed we can't expect batters to hit every ball for a boundary, and the team was focused on building a partnership against Pakistan.
'Everything, including Surya's innings and whatever you saw, was more or less what we have decided. And sometimes it happens in matches that if one or two boundaries are set, then people won't feel that way. Now, we can't expect the boundary to be hitwhenever we want. So I think he played really well. We were more focused on those partnerships. The wicket, the par score there is around 160. So I think it was brilliant. It wasn't anything we thought he could have done something different,' he added.
The defending champions, India, will play their final Group A match against the Netherlands on February 18 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led side has qualified for the Super Eight stage after winning three consecutive Group A matches in the ongoing tournament.
India squad for T20 World Cup:
Ishan Kishan(wicketkeeper), Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(captain), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of BC Post news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to BC Post.
More InformationA Life of Purpose Ends Peacefully The news rippled across the nation on a quiet Tuesday morning in February—the Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson...
MALAKOFF, Texas: Numerous social media posts linking a billionaire with ties to Jeffrey Epstein to the photography giant Lifetouch...
BEIJING, China - The first morning light of the Year of the Horse crept over the rooftops of Beijing, painting the paper lanterns in...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned five former professional football players this week for past crimes such as...
BOSTON, Massachusetts: The Trump administration was ordered by a U.S. federal judge to ensure the return of a Honduran college student...
RICHMOND, Virginia: A U.S. Marine and his wife will be allowed to keep an Afghan orphan they brought home in defiance of a U.S. government...
(Photo credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images) Michigan's new head coach Kyle Whittingham is shaking up the football staff, including...
(Photo credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images) Georgetown hosts free-falling Butler on Wednesday night in Washington, looking to earn...
(Photo credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images) Recently acquired Utah Jazz forward Jaren Jackson Jr. had successful surgery on Tuesday to...
(Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images) Skiing great Lindsey Vonn took to social media on Tuesday to share video of her trip back...
(Photo credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images) The Miami Dolphins' release of Tyreek Hill sparked rampant speculation of a potential...
(Photo credit: Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Left tackle Isaiah World is recovering from...
