Working with Virat Kohli in the IPL gave me insight into the mindset of cricket superstars: Vikram Solanki

Earlier this month, Surrey announced that the former England batsman Vikram Solanki will replace Michael Di Venuto as the club's new head coach. Solanki had been part of Surrey's coaching staff since he retired.

Vikram Solanki born in Udaipur, brought up in England, played for two counties in his domestic cricket career. He made his first-class debut for Worcestershire in 1995 and played for them until 2012. In July 2012, he announced that he would move to Surrey on a two-year contract. At the end of 2015 season, Solanki hung up his cricketing boots.

Speaking to AFP, the new Surrey coach said working with Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) had given him an insight into the mindset of cricket's "superstars" as he prepared to take up the reins at the Oval. 

In IPL 2019, Solanki was a member of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s coaching staff, where he worked as the assistant coach. During his stint at RCB, he gained experience working under World Cup-winning coach, Gary Kirsten. “Just to see how people react to pressure situations, the likes of Virat... gave me an insight into the superstars of the game.”

Solanki said he was unsure if his promotion constituted a “watershed moment,” saying while he abhorred racism and felt sympathy for anyone discriminated against, it had not been an issue in his career.

The Indian-born England cricketer becomes the first British Asian head coach at one of England’s 18 first-class counties. “There certainly is a great degree of movement throughout the world,” said Solanki, who made 54 limited-overs international appearances for England. Solanki, however, was at a loss to explain why he was believed to be the first British Asian head coach at one of England’s 18 first-class counties.

The 44-year-old who played 51 ODIs and 3 T20Is for England concluded by saying, “I couldn’t possibly answer that. I’ve not been party to any of the decisions that appoint coaches. I couldn’t tell you. But at Surrey, with the numerous programmes to encourage the involvement of people from different backgrounds, I consider it as something that’s ongoing. If this [his appointment] accelerates all those matters, then great.”

[With AFP inputs]