Team India head coach Rahul Dravid made it clear after India’s first home T20I defeat to Sri Lanka in six years that the team wanted to move away from its two biggest superstars and build a young T20I team for the future.
The 49-year-old stated categorically that the management was looking at the next cycle of T20 players who could serve the nation for a long time, but he did not name them.
After India lost to Sri Lanka in the 2nd T20I in Pune, Dravid told reporters, Obviously, from the last semi-final (in the T20 World Cup) that we played against England, only 3-4 boys are playing in the XI (against Sri Lanka).
He continued, Ours is a slightly younger team, and for us to play against Sri Lanka’s quality is a fantastic experience. When it comes to looking at the next T20 cycle, we are slightly at a different stage.
Dravid emphasized that the team’s primary focus this year is on the ODI World Cup at home and the World Test Championship, which allows them to move away from the seniors in T20Is and give opportunities to young players who are promising.
The good thing is that there is a lot of focus on the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship, so the T20s give us the opportunity to try out these guys, he explained.
Dravid’s statement may make Rohit and Kohli devoted fans angry and disappointed, but they want to see them play every day.
Dravid appears to have made up his mind despite the outrage. Time will tell if his decision to ignore two of the greatest modern match-winners was a major mistake or a masterstroke.
