Bengaluru, Aug 05: India holding England to a 2-2 draw in the fiercely-fought Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy was a celebration of a new crop of cricketers’ self-belief and fearlessness to put their body on the line for the country and the team.
Mohammed Siraj bowled close to 200 overs, dragging his knackered body through five Tests, Washington Sundar never took a backward step, Yashasvi Jaiswal contributed when it mattered the most, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna were all heart and Sai Sudharsan gave fleeting glimpses of his long-term utility.
But this coming of age effort has another dimension to it.
Where does it leave the venerable seniors such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, who have retired from T20Is and Tests, and Jasprit Bumrah, whose injury-prone body needs careful handling?
Kohli is 36 and Rohit is 38, and they will possibly be seen in action next during the away three-match ODI series against Australia, followed by another three one-dayers at home against South Africa.
Thereafter they have a chance to appear in six ODIs against New Zealand (home) and England (away) between January-July 2026.
But is that a good enough build up to keep them ready for the 50-over World Cup in 2027 in South Africa?
Will the distinguished duo have the desire to continue that long on the back of just one format and the IPL?
“Yes, it will be discussed soon. We still have more than two years for the next World Cup (November 2027). Both Kohli and Rohit will be pushing 40 by then, so, there has to be a clear plan ahead for the big event as our last win was in 2011. We also need to try out a few youngsters in time,” a source indicated to PTI.
Though they went out of the T20Is basking in the glory of a World Cup win in 2024, both Kohli and Rohit had to make a rather silent retirement from Tests.
So, will the former captains be allowed to choose a place and time on their own to move out or will they be phased out with future in mind?
“Look, both Kohli and Rohit have made huge contributions to white ball cricket for the team and the sport in general. They have achieved almost everything.
“So, I don’t think nobody’s going to force their hand, but there will be some honest and professional conversations before the next ODI cycle starts to see where they stand mentally and physically. It depends on that,” he added.
The other issue is the lack of match time for Kohli and Rohit as they have not appeared in any matches since the Champions Trophy in March early this year, and there are no domestic white ball competitions prior to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20s in November followed by the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December.
As per the existing BCCI diktat, a player cannot skip domestic matches when he is fully fit, and a non-compliance can lead to omission from national squads.
Even though the stature that Kohli and Rohit enjoy might just give them an exemption, if it comes to that.
The Bumrah Puzzle
But Bumrah offers a different case, as the physios have laid out a certain roadmap for his international future which saw him playing only in three Tests in England.
Many feel that the time has come to chalk out a definite plan on how to utilise the premier pacer.
“There is no question on the value that he brings to the side. But the management and board need to discuss how to use him — as an all format bowler or should he be asked to concentrate only on one or two formats,” a former player, who has seen Bumrah from close quarters, told PTI.
“Siraj, Akash Deep and Prasidh have shown us that they can win Tests for India. Let’s back them fully. We have two important tournaments (T20 and ODI WC) coming our way, and we need Bumrah ready for them. For home matches (vs West Indies, SA), we have Washi and Kuldeep along with Jadeja, and Bumrah’s role will not be that big here.
“So, if you ask me, he should be asked to focus more on white ball formats for now as there are enough T20s and one-dayers for him to play in the next two years. Yeah, IPL too is there. It’s better to have him play all matches in one format rather than him playing a few matches in all formats. It adds value to the team,” he noted. (PTI)
