All the talk about Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s retirement calls has fallen silent, thanks to India’s Champions Trophy triumph on Sunday.
From being considered spent forces not too long ago, the two senior-most players of team India have flipped the script by playing massive roles in India’s title winning run. Kohli’s match-winning knocks against Pakistan and Australia, and Rohit’s standout effort in the final against New Zealand have not only had a big impact on India’s fortune, but also pushed their critics on the backfoot.
While retirement might be on the mind of the two at the moment, it is also a fact that Kohli, 36, and the 37-year-old Rohit will have to take the call sometime in the next few years if not sooner. The two have been the strongest pillars of Team India in the last decade or so, and if they are still playing such crucial roles in the side’s wins, the question that logically pops up in the circumstances is, who after them? Or, is the next generation ready to take up the baton?
Kohli thinks the future is bright for India.
Team India’s bright future:
“We have the squad that is ready to take on the world in the next eight to 10 years and these guys definitely have the talent to do so,” Kohli said.
“They have stepped up already with so many impactful innings… Innings that (Shubman) Gill has played… Shreyas (Iyer), beautiful… KL (Rahul) has been finishing games… And Hardik (Pandya) is a match-winner. So we are in good hands.”
The former India captain said he shares his experiences with the younger lot, trying to inspire them to have a long career like him.
“It’s lovely playing with a bunch of amazing youngsters. They’re stepping up and taking India in the right direction. I try to speak to these guys, try to share my experience, tell them how I’ve played for so long. When you leave, you want to leave (the team) in a better position,” Kohli said.
After recent setbacks on the tour of Australia and the home Test series against
New Zealand, the Champions Trophy win, Kohli said, is “amazing”.
“It’s been amazing… We wanted to bounce back after a tough Australia tour.
“I think to win titles, the whole team must step up in different games. If you look at this tournament, over the course of five matches, everyone has put their hand up somewhere or another.
“These are the things, after playing for so long, you look forward to. Being in situations where you are put under pressure, and you walk in, and you put your hand up.”
Besides Rohit’s 76-run innings, there were useful contributions from Shreyas, Rahul and Hardik too as India survived some nervous moments to win with an over to spare. “That is why we ended up winning this tournament,” Kohli pointed out.
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