Clarity. That’s what a cricketer needs. For a batter, it might mean what shots he needs to attempt, areas to target, or which bowler to attack. For a bowler, it could be deciding on the best line and length, switching angles, and changing pace. But this process of clarity begins long before you step on the field.
Need for clarity
Take KL Rahul, for example. The wicketkeeper batter has switched positions on the drop of the hat. To do so, you need to be told what the team expects from you. You can’t just stick to the same plan, whether you open or bat at number five. He needs clarity from the management to deliver.
However, cricket in general hasn’t been consistent in its clarity. It starts way before the magic happens in the dressing room. The infamous Ambati Rayudu snub is the perfect example of this. Out of nowhere, the batter was left out for the ODI World Cup 2019. This came back to bite India, as they lost in the semifinal to New Zealand.
4 years later, Rayudu stated that he was given “some stupid logic”. From September 2018 to March 2019, he was the number four. But all of a sudden, Vijay Shankar was preferred over him. Rayudu had an outburst, and he went public with his complaints to the selection committee. All of which could’ve been avoided if he had been sat down and told prior why they won’t pick him.
But it never happened. Now, Rayudu wasn’t a famous player. In fact, some may not even remember his India career. But, at this very moment, two legendary cricketers seek that clarity. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are at the fag end of their international careers. Naturally, they want to go out with a bang, aka by lifting the ODI World Cup 2027 trophy.
Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli must be shown respect
The ICC tournament is still 18 months away. Which, considering their age, 40 and 39 at the time of the event, is a long time. It’s natural to be a bit sceptical. You can’t forget how steep a decline Rohit faced in his Test career. It can all go away quickly. Keeping this in mind, last year, the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, had labelled them as non-committal.
Yuvraj Singh, their former India teammate, wants the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and selectors to be forthright with them. He doesn’t want the board to beat around the bush. If they don’t see them playing until 2027, just tell them straight away.
“I don’t know what is going on in their minds. They look committed to playing the World Cup, but I think that decision lies with them and the selectors, who will have to decide the future,” Yuvraj told SportsTak.
Speaking from personal experience, he realises that it may hurt them if the BCCI tells them they won’t be selected for the ODI World Cup. But after it all simmers down, they’ll appreciate the fact that they were given a reason and that it wasn’t the media that broke the news.
Yuvraj believes Indian cricket has had an issue with clarity. Several former cricketers, including India’s current head coach Gautam Gambhir, have criticised the system. Well, now’s the time to change it. Give your current legends the respect they deserve. Don’t drag them along; give them a straight answer. Because it’s the least they deserve.
“My point is that they are such great players, there has to be clarity. You should be able to sit in a room and discuss things openly. It is difficult, especially at that stage of your career. You may not like hearing that the team is looking ahead, but a year later, you will appreciate that at least someone told you the truth to your face. That does not really happen in Indian cricket,” Yuvraj added.
Most runs for India in ODIs (since Rohit Sharma & Virat Kohli’s Test retirements)
| Batter | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 9 | 616 | 135 | 88 | 106.39 | 3 | 3 |
| Rohit Sharma | 9 | 409 | 121* | 51.12 | 91.29 | 1 | 3 |
| KL Rahul | 7 | 317 | 112* | 79.25 | 120.07 | 1 | 2 |
| Shubman Gill | 6 | 178 | 56 | 29.66 | 91.28 | 0 | 2 |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | 3 | 156 | 116* | 78 | 89.14 | 1 | 0 |
| Shreyas Iyer | 5 | 132 | 61 | 26.4 | 75.42 | 0 | 1 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 2 | 113 | 105 | 56.5 | 116.49 | 1 | 0 |
