He always wanted us to attack: Shanaka on Rathour

Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka on Thursday lauded batting consultant Vikram Rathour for his “value addition” ahead of the T20 World Cup, saying his emphasis on adopting an aggressive approach has helped the batters play more freely.

Rathour, who helped India secure the 2024 T20 World Cup during his five-year stint with the team, was appointed Sri Lanka’s batting consultant last month for the ICC showpiece.

“Vikram Rathour being a good addition to our side,” Shanaka said while addressing a captains’ day event alongside seven other skippers from participating teams.

“His knowledge and his nature — he always wanted us to go in the attacking mood which allows most players to free themselves which I really do like, he is a good value addition to the team.”

Shanaka and his players have come under pressure following unimpressive home performances since the beginning of the year.

Sri Lanka lost 1-2 to Pakistan in a T20I series in early January and were comprehensively beaten by England in both white-ball series that concluded earlier this week.

The Sri Lankan batting unit struggled in both series, though the captain defended his batters.

“Don’t see any failures in the batters it always depended on the wickets and the choice of shots we played,” Shanaka said, adding that there will be improvements in the World Cup.

The team faced anger from irate local fans at Pallekele after losing the T20I series two days ago.

“I hope for support from the fans. It is important for us to play well for their sake and for the good of the team. We are aware of the national pride,” Shanaka said.

“Fans have been supporting us. I will tell the fans that we didn’t play well in the last 3 games to get the correct results though we tried hard. We are sorry for that.”

Sri Lanka will play their first match of the T20 World Cup against Ireland on Sunday.