Indian Cricket At Crossroads: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma Or Emerging Talent In T20Is?

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have made invaluable contributions to Indian cricket for over a decade. However, performances by youngsters in the T20 Internationals (T20Is) this year have sparked a contentious debate — should India prefer young blood over experience in the shortest format of the game? Since India's defeat in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final against England, the 35-year-old Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, 36, have not played T20Is. Their absence, rather than causing a void, has been filled by a crop of young talent which coincided with a series of victories for the Men in Blue.

Notably, India clinched a three-match series in New Zealand late last year, secured the gold medal at the Asian Games and recently registered a 4-1 series win over Australia. The youngsters have also helped India solidify their position as the top-ranked team in the format.

Kohli and Sharma's credentials are impeccable and their track record certainly makes a case for their inclusion in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies. However, the Indian team has handed nearly a dozen T20I debuts since the 2022 T20 World Cup. Among these fresh faces, the emergence of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ishan Kishan, Rinku Singh, and Tilak Varma has been nothing but exceptional.

These young guns, all aged 26 or below, have proven themselves worthy of regular places in the playing XI and not just a few sporadic appearances.

Rinku Singh, for instance, looks ready to take on the role of a finisher. The 26-year-old played three cameos in differing situations in the series against Australia. He took the team over the line with a last-ball six in the first T20I before helping the team register 235 in the second T20I