India batting coach Kotak backs T20I captain Suryakumar amid lean run, says "he is playing for team"

Since India's successful campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024, Suryakumar has struggled to regain his dominant form. Following the famous triumph in Barbados, he has managed only two fifties and scored 242 runs at an average of 23.

The dynamic batter even demoted himself from the number three to the number four position during the South Africa series to accommodate Tilak Varma and maintain the team's balance.

In the ongoing T20I series against England, Suryakumar has tried to play aggressively, but his efforts haven't yielded significant results. In his last two outings, the Indian skipper has scored only 12 runs, averaging just six, with a strike rate of 120.00.

As the T20I action shifts from Chennai to Rajkot, Kotak has come out in support of Suryakumar, stating he is "selfless" and "playing for the team".

"He has been performing, but sometimes I feel we also expect a lot. Like every game if we think Surya or we think Adi or we think anyone... the game has become so aggressive, and that's the intent we have to play with in T20. There will be a time when batters will get out because they are playing fearless. They are playing selfless. If you want to score 200 or 225 and if you are careful and trying to save your wickets, both things won't go hand in hand," Kotak said in the pre-match press conference before the third T20I on Tuesday.

Despite Suryakumar's current form, Kotak noted that his batting approach remains unchanged, reminiscent of when runs flowed freely from his bat, and he could target boundaries at will.

"So, he is definitely a person who is playing for the team. He is very, very selfless, and that's what he is telling the whole group of batters we have to be selfless. So, I think obviously, there are games when people perform, and there are some games when... But, the way he is batting, he is in the same flow as he was before," he added. (ANI)