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Most teams adopt the role of leader in cricket, where
the captain’s responsibilities go beyond simply showing up for the toss. It was
never clearer than during the 2023 World Cup, when India used Rohit Sharma as a
feedstock to become a fun yet disciplined team.
The cricketing image that India presented during the
tournament, with the exception of the disastrous final match against Australia,
captured the nation’s imagination to such an extent that, despite the sad loss
on Sunday night, there were not even marginal accusations. For six and a half
weeks, the team saw an unprecedented level of support from the nation,
propelling it towards greater heights and realising their aspirations.
Not only did India win ten straight games, but they
also enjoyed the dominance of those wins, the heart-pounding exploits of their
pacers, the captain’s powerful batting, and Virat Kohli’s ongoing effervescence
at No. 3—a potent combination that ought to serve as a model for upcoming
Indian white-ball teams.
Hardik Pandya will take over as India’s next
white-ball captain soon after he recovers completely from the ankle injury that
kept him out of the World Cup after four games. Pandya is a personality of his
own, but he also has a lot of Rohit in him. Having made his teeth in the IPL
under Rohit for Mumbai Indians and under Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the
international level, Pandya has evolved as a cricketer and a human being.
Pandya embodies the ideal member of a team. He is in
the perfect position to champion the aggressive cricket philosophy that Rohit
has brought into the setup, setting the tone with his brutal top-order blows.
He will, of course, bring his own style, energy, and rush to the teams he
leads.
With the possible exception of themselves, neither
Rohit nor Kohli—who won Player of the Tournament for his three hundreds and 765
runs—had anything to prove to anybody. Other than Pandya, who from these group
followed them to take on the mantle of senior statesman? With his 2014 Indian
debut, KL Rahul—who is no stranger to the big league—provided a resounding
response to that query.
Shubman Gill, unquestionably one for the present and
future, had a mixed bag of results; however, his accomplishments have to be
evaluated in light of a physical setback that occurred shortly before the
tournament began. Though he acknowledged that his initial stores of muscular
mass had taken a hit, his speedy recovery from dengue and availability from the
third match is evidence of the tenacity of youth. Gill, who is 24 years old,
can be pardoned for his occasional attention span lapses during his maiden World
Cup, but he and Ishan Kishan, together with Rahul and Iyer, will play a
significant role in shaping India’s future.
India’s bowling was incredibly effective, but they
will need to assemble an almost full new team in preparation for the upcoming
World Cup, the Pakistani-scheduled 2025 Champions Trophy, and the next big
50-over match. That will be a heavy ask of the new coach, given Rahul Dravid’s
contract officially expired on Sunday night and it is unlikely that the
Bengalurean will seek re-appointment. When the reconstruction phase is about to
begin, two years may not seem like a long time, so it’s critical to build on the
accomplishments of the previous seven weeks and begin preparing for the next
major task.