As the sun sets on the illustrious T20I careers of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Indian cricket stands at a crossroads. The departure of these stalwarts leaves a void, but it also presents an opportunity for the emergence of new stars. Vikram Rathour, India’s outgoing batting coach, advocates for a controlled and gradual transition to ensure a seamless shift.
Vikram Rathour on replacing Rohit and Virat
In the recently concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe, young talents like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Abhishek Sharma showcased their prowess. Their performances at the top of the order hinted at a promising future. Rathour acknowledges that replacing players of Rohit and Kohli’s caliber won’t be easy, but he remains optimistic about India’s depth of talent.
“It is never going to be easy to replace people of Rohit and Virat’s calibre,” Rathour, also a former selector, said.
Indian cricket boasts a rich talent pool. Rathour emphasizes the need for a methodical approach. The transition must unfold gradually, allowing the next generation to settle into their roles. While the T20Is mark the beginning of this shift, Rathour looks beyond to the longer formats—Test and ODI cricket.
“The recently-concluded series against Zimbabwe (on Sunday) gave us some glimpse into how the T20 team will look like in future. But we still have a few years in Test and ODI ricket to get to that point,” said one of the key members of Rahul Dravid’s coaching team.
“I won’t be too concerned about it. We have a lot of depth in Indian cricket. There are lots of very talented and skilful players who are coming through the system. The only thing we need to make sure is the transition is done in a controlled manner. It needs to be gradual.”
Rathour envisions players like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Dhruv Jurel stepping up. By the time Rohit and Kohli bid farewell across formats, these young stars should be well-established. Their growth will form the nucleus of Indian cricket for the next decade.
Vikram Rathour names Jaiswal and Gill as India's next all-format players
📰 The former batting coach stated he isn't much concerned about the transition period in Indian cricket.https://t.co/oYbKQ1C6cw
— Cricket.com (@weRcricket) July 15, 2024
“I am hoping that by then, players like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Yashasavi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel to name a few, would establish themselves and will make the transition smooth.
“In ODIs also, we have experienced players like Shreyas lyer, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya to take over,” Rathour said.
