"A Tough Tour, But A Big Opportunity": Ex-Coach Backs Young India After Big Three Exit

Former batting coach Vikram Rathour is expecting a tough England tour for a young Indian side that is now without three stalwarts, who left the Test arena in quick succession.First, it was veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and then skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli too walked into the sunset, leaving a huge gap.Shubman Gill will most likely be India's new Test skipper and will have a new-look top and middle order.The five-match series will begin on June 20 at Leeds, marking the start of a new World Test Championship cycle.

"It's going to be a tough tour. It's not going to be an easy tour because the seniors have retired a lot. So, the young team is leaving. There could be a new captain. So, all these things will add a little bit of pressure," said Rathour, who spoke after Rajasthan Royals' win over Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday.

"But also it's an opportunity to showcase your talent and your ability." Rathour, who shared a good rapport with all top Indian batters during his stint, said the fans must respect the decision taken by the senior players.

"All three of them were phenomenal cricketers who retired. So, I would have loved for them to carry on. But it's, again, a very, very personal decision. I'm close to all three of them.

"So, you know, I would have, as I said, I would have loved to see them play more. But, again, it's a very, very personal decision, I think. And if they've taken this decision, we should respect that," he said.

Rathour, who is the batting coach of RR, was expectedly effusive in his praise for their find of the season, the 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who played a key role in the team signing off with a win against CSK.

Instead of an extravagant approach, he took some time and waited