Bengaluru: 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 said.
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?