Former New Zealand off-spinner Scott Styris has spoken about the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja from T20Is. The trio of Rohit, Kohli and Jadeja bid adieu to T20I cricket after the conclusion of the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India eventually won.
All three players decided to end their T20I careers with a good result. It may seem like a big loss for Indian cricket given the stature of these players, but the depth of Indian cricket is such that emerging players are more than ready to fill their spots.
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“You have so much depth” – Scott Styris
During an interview with News18 CricketNext, Scott Styris felt that there is a need to have a succession plan so that the team is not affected in case important players retire. Styris was also impressed with the young Indian batsmen and their performances in the IPL and feels that they are now ready to take the place of the big boys.
“I have commented on the IPL and said that you have to have a succession plan and you have to make sure that you don’t have too many players retiring at the same time. So, the way the IPL has gone this year, with a lot of big results in the way the local Indian batsmen have played, I think now is the perfect time to bring in some of those young players,” Styris opined.
Styris further mentioned that India’s bench strength gives them plenty of options even to replace senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.
“They know all the players, all the teams, what international cricket is like. So when they come to a World Cup, they are ready to play. So, yes, I agree it is a big loss, losing Virat (Kohli), losing Rohit (Sharma), losing Jaddu.” [Ravindra Jadeja]”You have a lot of depth, though,” Styris said.
Who will be Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s replacements in T20Is?
In the series against Zimbabwe that followed the 2024 T20 World Cup, the Indian team management hinted that the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal would replace Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Both batsmen have performed impressively in their short international careers so far and look fit to serve India in the future.
Gill is already considered an all-rounder for India. He was recently appointed as India’s vice-captain for the T20Is and ODIs in Sri Lanka. The selectors feel that the youngster has the potential to be India’s future captain.
On the other hand, Jaiswal is a vital cog in India’s batting line-up in Tests and T20Is. He was also a part of the Indian team that won the 2024 T20 World Cup, where he was the third opener behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Jaiswal is known to be someone who has a variety of shots in his repertoire. His skills make him a versatile batsman in the T20 format.
