IND vs NZ: Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour calls these young cricketers 'match-winners'

In the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, young cricketers like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have taken the burden off the shoulders of the senior players.

Shreyas Iyer had guided India to victory in the first clash with his unbeaten 58 along with Manish Pandey at the non-striker's end.

In the second, KL Rahul stayed till the end to make sure India gets the 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

Talking about these performances, Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour said that players like these are match-winners.

Rathour added that the Indian team was planning to give the younger players a longer rope so that they can improve further.

“The more opportunities that these guys get, they are showing that they are capable of. They are showing that they are match-winners on their day. That will help the team, of course, but it will also help their confidence,” Rathour said while speaking to reporters on the eve of the third T20I.

“Having seen KL (Rahul) and Shreyas as young cricketers coming through, in my mind, I have absolutely no doubt that they are match-winners. They are getting their opportunities now and they are showing the world what they are capable of, that is great to see,” he further added.

Rathour said that Iyer’s biggest strength is his positive frame of mind.“Apart from having those (batting) skills, I think the mindset is amazing. He (Iyer) believes he is a big player, and he is, without any doubt. He genuinely believes that he is a match-winner and he is here to stay. And that mindset I think helps him, that is the biggest advantage he has,” he said.

Not just the playing XI, India’s bench-strength has been quite strong in recent years.

“A-tour helps a lot. In case of any injuries, if you are looking for any replacements, we know players are here, just a city away. They can immediately come in and they are already acclimatised to the conditions. I think that’s a great idea and that’s working really well for our team,” Rathour said.