India Coach Discusses Tilak Varma’s Approach and Game Strategy after Ireland T20Is

India’s head coach for the Ireland tour, Shitanshu Kotak, shed light on a productive conversation he had with young cricketer Tilak Varma during an optional training session. Varma’s subpar performances in the two T20Is, with scores of 0 and 1, prompted him to seek ways to enhance his game strategy.

Kotak revealed that the discussion with Varma centered around refining his mental approach and shot selection. While technical adjustments were not a primary focus unless explicitly requested by the player, the coach emphasized the significance of tactical discussions to aid a player’s growth throughout a tour. He highlighted the impracticality of implementing major technical changes within the span of a series or a few days.

“We do not speak much on technical aspects unless the player requires it and provided there is enough time. I do not think you can change a player technically during a series, within a week or two-three days,” Shitanshu Kotak commented in a press conference regarding Varma.

During the conversation, Varma expressed his eagerness to practice and collaborate on his mindset and shot selection. The dialogue encompassed various aspects of building an innings and refining his approach for the upcoming game. Kotak emphasized that tactical discussions hold greater importance on tours, considering the constraints of time and the condensed nature of the series.

As India has already secured victory in the T20I series against Ireland, the third and final T20I is set to take place on August 23. Kotak indicated that major lineup changes for this match are unlikely. He acknowledged the challenge of providing opportunities to various players due to the series’ brevity and mentioned the difficulty in rotating the squad and granting players rest within a short span.

Given that the opening match was truncated due to weather conditions, the team’s ability to give all players a chance was limited. While longer series usually facilitate rotation to ensure everyone gets some game time, the three-match format of this series poses challenges in that aspect. Despite the constraints, Kotak is committed to maintaining ongoing discussions about game strategy and mental preparation to facilitate player development during this brief tour. By fostering such player-centric conversations, the team aims to sustain its successful momentum.

Kotak noted, “We will discuss the team in the evening, but if there is a possibility of giving them an opportunity, we will give. It is a short series; the first was a half-game in a way. If we have to give an opportunity to someone, we will have to drop another — it is difficult to rest someone after giving just one match. Normally in a five-match series, we try that everybody gets a game or two. We have only three matches here — half of one game got rained off — it is difficult to leave out those who are playing.”