Three giants of Indian cricket have called it quits. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja have announced their retirement from the T20 International cricket. Whilst this moment was coming as all three players were near the twilight of their careers, the collective decision did come somewhat as a surprise. Whilst this outcome was expected, the question now for Indian cricket is who will replace them?
Whilst there is no shortage of talented cricketers coming through the ranks of Indian cricket, among the most notable being the star player coming through the IPL franchise – where talent meets opportunity – the question is who can fill these huge spots, and critically deliver the kind of consistent, match-winning performances these three greats of the game have given India for over a decade?
Virat Kohli Replacement – Straightforward Choice
Let’s start with the big news the retirement of arguably the best batsman in the world and the top choice No 03 in the game Virat Kohli. Kohli’s retirement has been covered at length the question is what would his eventual replacement look like? The answer to this is a simple one. At the start of the tournament, the India selectors were compelled to choose between picking the best team vs picking the best 11 players. A choice that was in some ways forced by the caliber of Virat Kohli.
Playing Virat in the opening slot, a position that was not ideally suited for the player is a headache the selectors no longer have to face. With the Kohli factor now gone, a guy like Yashasvi Jaiswal will take up the opening slot. This means the No 03 position remains unchanged, with Rishabh Pant continuing in his role. This is good news as now India has a specialist opener at the top. Problem solved.
Rohit Sharma Replacement – Straightforward Choice Again
Next, we have Rohit Sharma – who is both captain and opener. There was some talk heading into this tournament regarding Rohit Sharma’s place and role in the side. With some pundits questioning his very selection. Now that India is the World T20 champions, with captain Sharma having a solid tournament, all that is now put to rest. The question now is, who will take his place? The answer again is straightforward: Shubman Gill.
Gill is one of the best batsmen in the game today. And his omission from India’s World T20 squad is a testament to India’s strength as a cricketing nation. So with Rohit Sharma moving on, Gill will take his place. If not him, then there is always Ruturaj Gaikwad, the new captain of the Chennai Super Kings. This might be good news for India, as both Gill and Gaikwad are captains of their club teams so the captaincy question can also be addressed.
Ravindra Jadeja Replacement – More Options
Alright Ravindra Jadeja, the star all-rounder’s replacement might be a bit tricky. The first thing to consider is what kind of all-rounder will India want as a replacement: a batting-focused all-rounder or a bowling-centered one. Krunal Pandya would seem like a like-for-like change. If India wants to with a more batting-friendly option Venkatesh Iyer is another solid option. The good news for India is that there are a lot of options to choose from, and when it comes to Jadeja’s replacement it is a position that Indian selectors would like to experiment with going forward until they find the right combination.
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