Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have reached the proverbial crossroads in their careers and are two of the biggest stars in Indian cricket today. Their quality cannot be denied, but their recent forms raise several questions. The two senior stars have had ups and downs since the T20 World Cup 2024. They are already retired from the shortest format, and the question is whether they should continue in other formats. Rohit is just under 38 years of age, while Kohli celebrated his 36th birthday a few months back.
After failures in Tests in Australia and against New Zealand, all eyes now turn towards whether they can perform in the Champions Trophy 2025 or not.
Kapil Dev, captain of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning team, said that there is nothing wrong with talking to outsiders to mend the problems.
“When no runs come, problems come from all sides. The best way out is to talk to cricketers of your type. Watch old recordings of when you played cricket. You will not get the same 20-year-old, 25-year-old Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, but watching old videos will give you an idea. Building confidence is required. Age does matter, but it does not mean you have forgotten how to play. Some modifications are needed.” Kapil Dev said this on a YouTube channel, Cricket Adda, by former Indian cricketers Madan Lal and Anil Singh.
“Be it Sunil Gavaskar or Rahul Dravid, you can talk to them. Just because they are big stars doesn’t mean that those who have played less cricket than you cannot tell you how to perform. The coach may be of a lower level than you, but that could still be of help. Sometimes you can get insight from outsiders.”
Kapil also stated during the same interview that it is understandable for the fans to be angry if the star players perform badly.
“The player (Rohit) is a big one. I am hoping he gets back into form. Anyway, wishing all the best to the coach. Getting into a rhythm takes time. The whole country expects the team to play well. The side has sometimes played quite well these days. The captain seems to be going through a patch of poor form, which is a problem for the side,” Kapil Dev stated.
“The team’s bad performance may have justified the fans’ anger coming their way. When these players returned after winning the T20 World Cup, it was a sight I have never seen before. Therefore, when they approach the bad parts of the game, criticism gets to them. This is where I come in with a warning-don’t shower too much praise on a player lest they get used to it. And then you hit below the belt with criticisms. This is my point.”
