- Author, Suresh Menon
- Paper, cricket writer
In 2011, the last time India won a cricket World Cup, everyone knew it would be batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s last chance.
He was 39, it was his sixth attempt, and the team’s unofficial slogan was “Let’s do it for Sachin”.
After captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit the winning six, Virat Kohli, who was among those carrying Tendulkar on their shoulders, memorably said, “He has carried our batting on his shoulders for so long that it is time to carry him on our shoulders. ”
And now Kohli, Tendulkar’s natural successor, who turns 36 this year, is in the twilight of his career.
The next T20 World Cup will be in 2026, and the 50-over version in 2027. Kohli is fitter than Tendulkar, but it is difficult to see him playing white-ball cricket at this level again. Captain Rohit Sharma, 37, could also play his last World Cup.
There was no cry of “Let’s do this for Kohli” or “Let’s do this for Rohit” in the Indian team, unless they were done more quietly than before. Maybe there’s a “Let’s do this for [Rahul] Dravid”, remaining on air. For the Indian coach, who missed the 2011 World Cup, this is his last mission with the national team.
Image source, Getty Images
Increasingly, T20 is turning into a young man’s game, a young man who doesn’t care about personal statistics but is focused on where his next six will come from. This is a cultural shift in Indian cricket that is going unnoticed – many great players in the past have shown an unhealthy concern about their appearance in the record books, where numbers are devoid of context.
Sharma’s stunning 92 against Australia showed the next generation how strike rates were more important than averages in T20. When Tendulkar completed his 100th international century, he was highly praised. But India lost the match.
India’s white-ball team – especially in T20 – is in transition. Ten members of this team are over 30, three over 35. And more determined hitters are emerging through the system.
Shubhman Gill is leading an Indian T20 team to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20 series next month. India’s future is represented there, with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal (unlucky not to play in the T20 World Cup, although he could still do so), Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma, Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar, Ravi Bishnoi, all under 25 years old, and Rinku Singh a little above.
Image source, Getty Images
The over-35s in the current West Indies squad include Ravindra Jadeja, while Suryakumar Yadav, the best batsman in the format, is approaching 34.
Age shouldn’t matter, form and fitness should decide. However, T20 is a tricky format. Experience can really work against a player, where strategy and tactics move at a rapid pace and yesterday’s philosophies no longer apply.
T20 was a different beast when Kohli and Sharma started making their mark on it.
The fact that they were able to keep up with the likes of Suryakumar and Jaiswal (world no. 7) is a tribute to their adaptability. It is possible that one or both will drop out after the current World Cup. If India wins, they will not be able to go any higher and would have gone away after a triumph. If they lose, there will be pressure to break through. Sports can be cruel.
When India lost the 50-over World Cup final to Australia last year, the country was thrown into mourning. The players were heartbroken, none more so than Kohli and Sharma, who had enjoyed a fine tournament as India reached the final unbeaten. And then they messed it up. Neither would ride on the shoulders of their teammates. Each knew the chance might never come again.
Hence the search for redemption in the T20 World Cup. Somehow, careers are considered incomplete without a world crown, no matter what the format. A triumph is a happier starting point for the transition.
