Sitanshu Kotak, India’s batting coach, says the men’s ODI batting template will need a rethink once the T20 World Cup wraps up in March because of the new one-ball rule after the 34th over. Under the updated playing conditions, teams choose one of the two match balls to keep using from overs 35 to 50, which changes how teams set totals and chase them.
Sitanshu Kotak warned that the practical impact will force teams to plan innings differently, particularly in how batters pace their middle overs and the timing of their acceleration.
“We are seeing more 300-plus games, especially in India,” Sitanshu Kotak told reporters before the second ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot. “After the T20 World Cup, there’ll be more ODIs and we’ll need a clear template for how we want to bat with the new rule of one ball from the 35th over. It’s a tactical change — you might choose to push earlier or manage wickets differently because the ball you face late will behave differently.”
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Kotak also underlined that senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain central to India’s long-term ODI planning. Both players are actively involved in discussions with head coach Gautam Gambhir and the coaching staff about match strategies, workload management and how to integrate younger players while preserving India’s power at number three and the top order.
Addressing concerns about all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, SitanshuKotak offered reassurance. “I’m not here to forecast any player’s future, but Ravindra is fit and performing. When players are enjoying their cricket and contributing, the team benefits. He knows his rol,e and we back him,” Kotak said.
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In short, India’s white-ball unit is preparing to adapt: new rules demand new habits, and the experienced core will be central to shaping the template that the next generation will inherit. Coaches will trial approaches in domestic and A-team fixtures to fine-tune timing, rotations and late-innings acceleration strategies over the summer.
