Is Rohit Sharma playing in the next World Cup?: With increasing age and challenges in One Day and T20 formats, it is crucial to strengthen the team in Test matches.
Rohit Sharma, known for his power-hitting abilities, has the capability to turn the tables for his team against opponents. Therefore, there is a possibility of him leading the team in the upcoming World Cup scheduled for October-November. It is possible that he might not claim victory in subsequent ICC tournaments. However, not just as a captain but also as a player, Rohit Sharma can become the driving force behind India’s performance in the 2023 One Day World Cup, making it his last global tournament.
Three indicators suggest Rohit Sharma’s potential. Even his childhood coach, Dinesh Lad, believes that Rohit will participate in this year’s World Cup. We will delve into the details of what Rohit’s coach has to say and identify these indicators.
First, let’s take a look at Rohit’s career profile, and then we can proceed to discuss each of the three indicators one by one…
Indicator 1: Age
Rohit Sharma, who made his international cricket debut in 2007 against Ireland in a One Day match, is currently 36 years and 51 days old. By the time of the upcoming One Day World Cup, his age will be over 40. At such an age, even Mahendra Singh Dhoni couldn’t continue playing for Team India. Therefore, the possibility of Rohit continuing in the One Day setup until then is quite limited. It is almost unlikely. Hence, Rohit may not be able to participate in the next World Cup in this format, which is scheduled for 2027. Rohit’s performance as a batsman in the One Day format in the last 5 years can give us an idea of how he has been performing recently.
Indicator 2: Exclusion from T-20 Setup
In the previous year, on 10th November, the Indian cricket team lost by 10 wickets to England in the semi-final of the T-20 World Cup. The loss was so significant that no Indian fan can forget it. It is worth noting that this match was Rohit Sharma’s last T-20 International match. Consequently, he has been excluded from the Indian T-20 team. As a result, the Indian team is playing T-20 matches without him. The selectors have stated that the T-20 World Cup is approaching, and the team is being prepared for it.
Indicator 3: Difficulty in Reaching the Test Final
Test cricket is a format where Rohit’s career can advance for another two to three years. This means he can have another chance to play for the WTC trophy. However, in order to achieve that, the team needs to reach the final first. The Indian Test team is undergoing a phase of transition.
Apart from that, it is also possible to stop preparing pitches for domestic Test series. Officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and former players believe that such pitches are tarnishing the image of Indian cricket and causing our players to neglect their batting skills. If the creation of pitches is halted, the Indian team may find it difficult to earn easy points. As a result, the path to the final would become challenging. If we fail to reach the final, it means we will not have any World Cup-like tournament.
In the Test format, having a World Cup doesn’t mean having a tournament. It implies playing the final of the World Test Championship (WTC). All Test series contribute to the WTC, but the final itself is a complete tournament. If any team from the WTC qualifies for the World Cup by participating in any category, Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam or England’s captain Ben Stokes could have had the opportunity to play this tournament.
Conclusion:
Rohit Sharma’s participation in the next World Cup remains uncertain due to various factors such as age, exclusion from the T-20 setup, and the challenges faced in reaching the Test final. While his power-hitting abilities make him a valuable asset, his age and the team’s focus on building for the future may limit his chances. Only time will reveal the path India takes in shaping its cricket team for the upcoming tournaments.
