Come on Rohit and Virat, Let's move on

The last few days have been nothing less than an ordeal for Indian cricket fans. The heartbreak of losing the 2023 Men's World Cup Final to Australia will take some time to heal. Imagine that if we as fans are feeling so much pain, what about the team members who experienced it right in the middle—in particular Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?

The two stalwarts of the Indian cricket team for the past decade and a half were literally helpless, watching Australian opener Travis Head enter a dagger in the hearts and minds of over a billion people with every boundary or six he smashed at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Despite having over 100 international hundreds to their name and close to 50 thousand runs under their belt, once Australia crossed 200 runs in the final, both Rohit and Virat knew it was all over. There was nothing they could do, and the writing was on the wall.

Australia emerged as the ODI World Cup Champions for the record sixth time, while India, labeled as favorites, faltered at the Final Frontier. While Rohit couldn't control his tears for a few seconds, good enough for the cameras to capture the moment, Virat, on the other hand, decided to cover his emotions with his cap. It was a truly emotional moment for the fans, who possibly knew that this was the last time both of these champion batsmen were representing India together in an ICC event.

As much as it was heartening to see the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, going into the team's dressing room to motivate the boys after the loss, the pain and sadness were there for every Indian cricket fan to see. Right through the campaign, India's dressing room had been buzzing with claps, laughter, and smiles, and suddenly there was a cloud of sadness on everyone's face.

While one can look at the final loss as an opportunity missed, the others can feel for the boys. The emotional fans might just hinge on the second reason; for me, the loss in the final was a missed opportunity. However, I do accept that Australia was a better side in the final and beat India all the way through.

So, now what can Team India do next?

As professional cricketers, both Rohit and Virat are expected to move on from this loss and focus on the cricket action for the rest of the season. I know it is easier said than done, but what options do they have?

With so much cricket happening these days, it is a matter of mere weeks before Indian cricket fans will immerse themselves in the contests coming up and what the team can achieve next. If they can, why can't Rohit and Virat? Can't they do anything about it? Can they change the result of the ODI World Cup Final? The blunt answer is no. Then why worry?

Should Rohit and Virat play in the 2024 T20 World Cup?

Now, reports are emerging that the BCCI has given a free hand to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to decide their future in the T20Is. As much as this news brings hope and joy to the faces of their fans, I have a feeling that the national interest is being compromised for the benefit of two individuals here.

Firstly, both Rohit and Virat haven't played a T20I for India since the loss to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup Final at the Adelaide Oval. Without pointing fingers towards their batting greatness in white-ball cricket, including both of them on the national T20 side, it will be an injustice to young cricketers like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Verma, and others.

Also, age is not on their side, and if the team is looking for a quick-fix replacement or a stop-gap arrangement just to ensure these two batting icons get a chance to win an ICC tournament together, it is in direct violation of the national interest. The T20I side under Hardik Pandya has moved on from Rohit and Virat, and no one talked about their future in the format until the World Cup Final loss.

Yes, it is true that both Rohit and Virat haven't announced their retirement from T20Is, but even if they are included in the national side, will they be as useful as they used to be, given the dynamics of the team at the moment? In the recently concluded Men's ODI World Cup, India's average age was over 31, which was the highest amongst all the teams. Given the length of time in ODIs, a team can cover such glaring errors, but in T20Is, it becomes impossible to not look at these aspects of the game.

Kohli remains one of the fittest cricketers around, but with cramps settling in during the semi-final against New Zealand at Wankhede, it shows that even he is human after all. With Rohit, fitness has always been an issue, and it was commendable the way he kept his body fresh and raring to go right throughout the World Cup.

One should also not forget that the 2024 T20 World Cup will be played in the West Indies and America after the IPL is over. This will be a huge challenge in itself, as franchises like Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians would not want to field an XI without these two champions in it.

Despite all the emotions running high and the chants of bringing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back into the national T20 side for one last shot at an ICC silverware together, it makes no logical sense to me. If their inclusion disrupts the dynamics of the side and hampers the team's chances of winning a T20 World Cup after 17 long years, then the decision sounds more illogical than a fruitful one for Indian cricket in the long run.

Just imagine: had the likes of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sourav Ganguly expressed their interest in playing in the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa, the legend of MS Dhoni would never have been born in the first place.

Sometimes, it is important to let go of individual desires for the betterment of the team. Given the champion cricketers Rohit and Virat are, their legacy remains untarnished, even without a World Cup medal together. At times, some things are not meant to be, and maybe the ICC silverware for both of these champions was never meant to be.

Come on, Rohit, Come on, Virat, serve the national team for as long as you can. We, as fans, admire what you have done for Indian cricket over the years.

Also read: Virat Kohli: From a Young Brat to a King and Now the Emperor

(The author is an expert in cricket and has worked as a sports writer for broadcast and multimedia platforms for nearly a decade.)