Who Will Replace the Titans?

After ascending the T20 World Cup throne, Indian team stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit? Sharma announced their retirement from the format. As a cricket fan, the joy of my team winning the Cup is overshadowed by the deep anguish of realising that we will never see them again in the format.?

How time flies. It seems like yesterday… two great players who have been the backbone of the Indian Cricket team, making their presence felt in the great sport. They have made India a dominant team in cricket with their selfless contributions. This brings me to my question: Who will replace the Titans??

Indian cricket has phenomenal bench strength. Cricket experts talk about how difficult it is today to get into the Indian cricket team, with the abundance of talent available in the country. Sure, the Show Must Go On. The Game is Bigger than the Player. No one is irreplaceable. Agreed.

But does this talent pool have the fire to take Indian cricket further? Rohit and Virat have been the fulcrum of Indian performance in the last 15 years. They have been great Captains. No, they have been great, inspirational leaders. They have beaten the odds, shown exemplary determination and willpower to succeed, and have led by personal example.

Tell me who can emulate them. One can understand their desire to bow out in a blaze of glory. As a sportsperson, and especially as a cricketer, you want to leave the stage at the top. There have been enough indications that the new coach, Gautam Gambhir, wants to have three separate teams based on the formats. Who will be the captain? Many names are doing the rounds, with the primary contender being Hardik Pandya. We all know what happened to Mumbai Indians in the last IPL. The same players are in contention for the leadership role. Jasprit Bumrah and Surya Kumar Yadav(SKY) were reportedly unhappy with Hardik being made the skipper. Will the same issue not create a rift in the team if Hardik is appointed captain? Will this affect the team’s performance? History says it will.

It seems Rohit Sharma made a sudden decision to retire. He may have been overwhelmed by the occasion. At 37, he is in the twilight of his career. No one can question the timing.?

But the BCCI should intervene. They must ask one of the Titans to reconsider retirement. The team is not ready to handle the vacuum. Those shoes are too big to fill. Let us be bold in asking the question: who will guide the team in pressure situations??

Who will inspire the team to face difficult situations? Who will bail us out in crunch situations??

Can the Indian team follow the process laid out by Rohit Sharma? Can they play fearless cricket without a selfless leader at the top who will guide them by example??

No, there is no one to do that. Make no mistake. The Indian Cricket team is a great team, with or without Ro-Ko. But it is incomplete. Their presence inspired the team…. Who will carry the mantle now?

Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli: One of them has to be in the T20 Team for some more time. Or else, we are heading for disaster.? I am worried for the team…. in the T20 format.?

?