It is not for the first time that every second cricket discussion in India is revolving around the future of legendary senior cricketers before a T20 World Cup. It is also not for the first time when there seems to be an indecision of the highest quality with respect to the captain of the Indian cricket team for a tour of South Africa. While the first incident had last happened years ago, the latter was witnessed as recent as a couple of years ago.
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Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma, two pillars on which Indian cricket has stood proudly over the last decade or so, are alluring immense viewpoints regarding their respective spots in India’s T20I squad for the imminent tour of South Africa.
Having not played a single T20I since ICC T20 World Cup 2022, one strongly believes that neither of the two should be handed a comeback for a three-match series starting December 10. For a change, this straightforward conclusion isn’t backed by statistics. On the contrary, it stems from a desperate need for change.
If truth be told, both Kohli and Sharma have successfully served their time in the limelight in the shortest format. Kohli, highest run-scorer in the history of T20 World Cups, has seldom not stood up to his potential in global tournaments. Sharma, on the other hand, is one of the two cricketers to have participated in each of the eight T20 World Cups thus far.
With India not winning this tournament, in particular, in the last 15 years despite their tireless attempts, both as captains and batters, over the years, it is high time we move on from this legendary duo. Moving on, which is often hard irrespective of the matter, can prove to be comparatively easier for Indian cricket when it comes to these two players in this format.
Courtesy of the Indian Premier League, the bench strength of the Indian cricket team has enough firepower to replace both these players in T20Is. With contemporary players more-suited to the demands of T20Is, they could perhaps even outperform Kohli and Sharma in terms of scoring runs at a faster pace upon getting a longer run.
Virat, 35, and Rohit, 36, meanwhile, can enjoy this distancing from one format to lay focus on the remaining two. Taking into consideration how the two still have lots to offer as Test and ODI batters, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of sense in needlessly increasing workloads of players who are past the age of 35.
In all honesty, I believe that Kohli and Sharma should make themselves unavailable in T20Is and continue being the strong pillars, that they have been, in the other two formats of international cricket.
