New Delhi, Jan 8: Sri Lanka Cricket has named Vikram Rathour as the men’s team’s consultant batting coach, marking a high-profile addition to the support staff ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Rathour, the former India opener and ex-national batting coach, will link up with Sri Lanka on January 18, just days before their home white-ball series against England.
His stint runs until March 10, concluding after the T20 World Cup final—which will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka and played on March 8.
The appointment continues a sweeping overhaul in the Sri Lanka setup. Lasith Malinga has been retained as consultant bowling coach for the early part of 2026, while R. Sridhar, also formerly with India, has taken charge of fielding.
Leadership has shifted too—Dasun Shanaka has been reinstated as T20 captain, replacing Charith Asalanka, and former fast bowler Pramodya Wickramasinghe now heads the selection panel.
Rathour brings considerable pedigree. Though he featured in just six Tests and seven ODIs for India in the late 1990s, he was a prolific domestic run-scorer with Punjab.
He completed a five-year tenure as India’s batting coach in 2024, working alongside head coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid and signing off with India’s T20 World Cup win in the Caribbean.
More recently, Rathour has been part of the Rajasthan Royals coaching group in the IPL, collaborating closely with franchise director Kumar Sangakkara.
He also undertook a short consulting assignment with the New Zealand Test team late last year.Sri Lanka Cricket hopes Rathour’s experience with elite batting groups across formats will bolster the team’s World Cup preparations—and help chart a long-term turnaround. (Agencies)
