Vikram Rathour Addresses Allegations of Pitch Tampering in World Cup Final by Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid

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Former Indian cricket batting coach Vikram Rathour has responded to accusations against former Indian cricket head coach Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma, who are alleged to have manipulated the pitch in Ahmedabad during the 2023 World Cup final against Australia. 

Australia’s decision to bowl first in the final proved to be a good one for them as India, despite a promising start, only managed to score 240 runs. The Australian bowlers tightened their grip in the middle and death overs, ultimately chasing down the total with ease, thanks to a century by Travis Head. 

Post-match, the management came under heavy scrutiny for purportedly requesting a slow pitch, which many believe was a factor in their defeat. Vikram Rathour, however, believes that the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium improved during the second innings of the final between India and Australia. 

“I’ve heard this story that the pitch was different, which I don’t agree with at all. In the final, the pitch improved as the game progressed; we expected it to get slower, which it didn’t, so why did that happen? Yes, we could have scored more runs. There are so many ifs and buts, but one thing is sure: you need a little luck to win a tournament. And that day, Australia were luckier than us. They played better cricket than us. And that’s the reason they won,” Rathour said in an interaction with Sportstar. 

‘Rahul Dravid is the best coach I’ve worked with’ – Vikram Rathour

Vikram Rathour also praised former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid, who led India to end their decade-long ICC trophy drought with a T20 World Cup win in 2024. Rathour described Dravid as the best coaches he has worked with.

“Rahul is the best coach I’ve worked with. He has a great character and is good at what he does. He talks well, is very thorough, and is disciplined with his coaching. He took over when India was in a transition phase with significant challenges ahead. We were good friends. And we are even better friends now. The expectations were higher when he joined. He was calm and composed through these challenging times,” Rathour added.

With VVS Laxman set to step down from his position in September, Vikram Rathour is emerging as the probable successor for the head of the NCA.

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