India Look At Young Guns To Take Their Legacy Forward After Cricket World Cup 2023 Heartbreak

An expressionless Virat Kohli gave a quick handshake and hug to an equally expressionless Shubman Gill before going to collect his runners-up medal. It was the most poignant moment of a teary Sunday night for the Indian cricket team. It, perhaps, was the most visible sign of the imminent generational shift in Indian cricket after the hosts failed to grasp a third World Cup. Of course, veterans such as Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami might be around for some more time, but now it is up to a younger crop to take the team forward and build a new legacy unscarred from the past failures. Gill (24), Shreyas Iyer (28), Ishan Kishan (25), Ruturaj Gaikwad (26) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (21) will soon, hopefully, be joined by a recovering Rishabh Pant (26) as India will hit the road to the T20 World Cup 2024 and beyond.

These players already have considerable experience at top level cricket and have showcased their talent more than once, but living up to the heritage of titans like Kohli and Rohit is not a simple task.

These players have built some tall edifices over the last decade and half, symbolising their skill, durability and mental fortitude in the high-pressure world of modern-day sports.

That they had to cope with the extra burden of captaincy on their shoulders, makes their achievements all the more glittering. An empathetic leader with conviction is the driving force behind a team in any sport.

So, in whom India should make investment as the future leader? Former India batsman Robin Uthappa thought Shreyas could be the one who fits into that role.

"Shreyas Iyer has demonstrated significant dedication and confidence. He appears quite impressive, particularly at the No. 4 position.

"If he keeps up this level of