Sri Lanka’s struggles in white-ball cricket continued on Sunday as they lost the second T20I to England by six wickets in a rain-shortened game at Pallekele, conceding the three-match series 2-0. But new batting coach Vikram Rathour sees positive signs in the team’s batting.
“I think we were better today, definitely,” Rathour said after the match. “We showed better intent, better decision-making against spin. It is a work in progress, but we are getting better.”
Sri Lanka scored 189 for 5 in their 20 overs before rain stopped play, only their fifth T20I score of 180-plus since the 2024 T20 World Cup. Rathour said conditions, especially at Colombo, are not easy for power hitting.
“The surfaces here are not very conducive to hitting sixes. The ball does not come on to the bat,” he said. “T20 batting has two components. One is power hitting, the other is range. If you are not hitting a lot of sixes, you can still score heavily by using the whole ground and playing fours. Most of our batters sweep well, some can reverse sweep and use their feet. That is a good thing.”
Rathour highlighted 23-year-old Pavan Rathnayake for his excellent footwork. Rathnayake struck 40 off 22 balls to help boost a struggling Sri Lanka innings.
“He is batting really well at the moment. One of the better players at using his feet. I have not seen many players in this generation doing it so well. He batted well again today, which is a good sign for Sri Lankan cricket,” Rathour said.
Rathour also defended skipper Dasun Shanaka, who was promoted to No. 5 but fell early. “We wanted to give him freedom to play his game without pressure. He is our best finisher. Today did not work out, but he is a really impressive stroke player. If he succeeds at this position, we could post a par-plus score.”
Rathour acknowledged Sri Lanka’s ongoing problem with middle-order collapses and said the team is working on smarter shot selection and better planning in the middle overs. The decision to play an extra batter instead of a fifth frontline bowler also backfired when Eshan Malinga was injured.
Despite the loss, Rathour remains positive about the team’s progress and believes Rathnayake could be a key player for Sri Lanka in the future.
