The Indian team today is on the same verge as it was in 2011. Then after the World Cup, many players of the team were going to be out. In front of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the challenge was to find substitutes for players like Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra. Dhoni slowly built a new team. Now the BCCI has the same challenge. Many players are about to retire and some are on the verge of being dropped.

There is pressure on many players after two consecutive defeats in the World Test Championship. The next final of the World Test Championship is to be held in 2025. By then Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin will be 38-38 years old. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will be 37-37 years old. At the same time, the age of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja will be 36-36 years. Mohammed Shami will be 34 years old. This is more than half of the Indian playing-11 players.


Now the biggest question is, how long will the Indian team play with these players? Will the team play with them or will new players get a chance? After all, how long will Rohit Sharma be the captain of Team India? What will be the changes in the middle order and who will take care of the bowling?

What is the future of Rohit and Kohli in Tests?
Kohli has 8479 runs in his name. He has to score 1521 runs to complete 10,000 runs. Virat may accomplish this in the upcoming edition of the World Test Championship, but the question is whether he will play Tests after 2025. He replaced Sachin Tendulkar at number four. Now who can replace Kohli in the middle order? Shreyas Iyer is a big contender to replace him. They just have to keep their fitness right for this. He has been injured for the last few months and it may take time to make a comeback. As far as Rohit is concerned, he has recently played his 50th Test. His fitness could become a big problem in the coming years. The selectors believe that Rohit would have to leave any one format to play for a long time. In such a situation, leaving Hitman T20, he can prolong his career in Test and ODI.

Who will be the next captain of India?
Rohit Sharma was made the Test captain after Virat Kohli. He is also the captain of the team in ODIs and T20s. His replacement is ready in T20. Hardik Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to success in the IPL, could be India's next T20 captain. He has taken command in a few matches. He is at the forefront in ODIs as well, but India is looking for a strong player in Tests. Rishabh Pant was the replacement before the car accident. Shubman Gill is a contender, but his overseas exam is yet to come. Jasprit Bumrah was the strongest contender to captain the side in the 2022 Edgbaston Test, but he is battling fitness issues. At the same time, KL Rahul, who captained in some matches, is troubled by the problem of poor form and fitness. In such a situation, the selectors will have to think a lot about the captaincy.

How long will Pujara and Rahane play?
Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara are two such players, over whom the sword has been hanging for some time. Rahane was even out for 16 months. Now he has made a comeback. He did well in the final against Australia. Whereas, Pujara was failing. In the series against West Indies, both will have to play big, otherwise, many young players are ready to take their place. Abhimanyu Easwaran, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Rajat Patidar, Tilak Verma, and Rituraj Gaikwad have been knocking on the doors of the team for a long time. Now it has to be seen which players coach Rahul Dravid prepares.

What will happen to Shami and Bumrah?
Bumrah, 29, has been injured for a long time and is preparing to return. He could not even play in the T20 World Cup. He is preparing for the upcoming World Cup, but questions are being raised about his future in Tests. After the Asia Cup, India has to play in the World Cup. After that two Test series have to be played in South Africa. England has to host. There will be five tests in it. In such a situation, it has to be seen how the team management manages the workload of Bumrah. He is sorely missed in big matches. There is no bowler to replace Bumrah right now.

On the other hand, talking about Shami, he has turned 32 years old. He has been sidelined by injuries, but he too has the same challenge as Bumrah. How can he manage the workload? Bowlers like Stuart Broad and James Anderson are still playing. If Shami keeps himself fit, he will play comfortably for the next two-three years. Apart from this, his place in the team is also confirmed. Bus management has to manage their workload.

Who after Jadeja-Ashwin?
The Indian team relies heavily on spinners in the bowling department. Especially on home ground. After the pair of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, India got the pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Both the players are at that stage of age from where their career is not very long. Akshar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Saurabh Kumar, and Rahul Chahar are ready to replace Jadeja and Ashwin, but it remains to be seen whose pair turns out to be right. There is no such option for Ashwin among off-spinners who can play Test cricket. In such a situation, BCCI will have to groom an off-spinner.

(pc amarujala)