Another week another new cricket tournament. It has become one of the hallmarks of the modern game, the frequency with which cricket tournaments take place. This time it is the World T20 champions India taking on Sri Lanka. One would like to call it a contest of equals or at least a contest! But the recent record between these two teams leaves much to be desired from the standpoint of the hosts.
But that does not mean we are not in for some good cricket. With the squads for both legs of the tour announced with their respective captains, a new-look Indian side takes on a struggling Sri Lanka, who are always dangerous at home. There is a lot to look forward to in the three T20s and three ODIs the teams will play against each other, but among the most notable is the absence of cricketing stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20 outfit, with Jadeja being absent from the ODI games as well. The question is will India, a powerful limited-overs side miss these great players?
Rohit Sharma – Will Be Missed but Nothing More
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It is curious to note that India is playing their first major tournament after the World T20 2024 victory against Sri Lanka. Whilst the tour of Zimbabwe before this did produce a single loss, it was a test run for India’s bench strength, which is formidable. Now faced with a team like Sri Lanka, an ODI and T20 World Cup-winning side, things will be more of a challenge.
It is funny in the sense that just a decade or so ago Sri Lanka was also going through a period of transition. Major players like Kumar Sangakkara Mahela Jayawardene and TM Dilshan were calling it quits. A period that marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the team, as the Lankans struggled to find quality replacements. This is not a problem that is going to affect the Indians, who have a wealth of talent, especially at the top with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the waiting.
Virat Kohli – Irreplaceable For Now
Virat Kohli is a star player. Arguably the best player of this generation. So it will be difficult to figure out who will replace him, man-for-man in the side. And frankly, that is not even the point. The nature of the modern game is such that the top teams are looking for players who can fill a role in a given team. And then to have replacement players who can be swapped out to do just that.
It seems that the era of the great player may be passing, to be replaced by the era of top-class players who are to perform well for a given tournament or season. Whilst there are a lot of Indian players who can fill Kohli’s role, what matters going forward would be their versatility and patience, when the selectors decide to remove them and put someone else in for a new tour.
Ravindra Jadeja’s Replacement – More than a Few
This is an interesting one. In that, Jadeja’s strength has been his utility. He is a player who can bat well as any top-order batsman and thus can move up and down the order as per the team’s requirements. So a Jadeja replacement, in addition to being a great spin option must be able to bat well. Axar Patel is a solid pick but there are other options. So the question will Rohit, Virat, and Jadeja be missed? Well yes from a sentimental standpoint. But not from a competitive one.
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