A challenging period for the Indian cricket team started last October when the Men in Blue suffered a forgettable T20 World Cup in the UAE, followed by a Virat Kohli captaincy row and a series defeat against a South Africa team that is rebuilding.
In the absence of Kohli and key players missing due to injuries, Rahul Dravid needs to move quickly to take the team through this difficult period. Dravid wants to gear up for the two limited-overs World Cups in 2022 and 2023. Shastri understands that Indian cricket is going through a transition period, and believes Dravid and the management need to identify the right players who can lead the team in the next four to five years. In order to ease the adjustment process, he also believes India must mix youth and experience in the right way. “It’s a very important period for Indian cricket. In the next eight to ten months, the sport will undergo a major transformation. In 4-5 years, it is important to identify the right kind of players. For me, youth and experience should be mixed. If you aim for the future, it may be necessary to change. This is your chance. Youth must be sought in the next six months. If you continue on the same path for too long, it will be difficult to adjust,” he told Shoaib Akhtar, during a recent interaction on his Youtube Channel.
As India prepares for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October, its schedule is filled with events. Following the series against the West Indies, the team will take on Sri Lanka at home in a series of ODIs and T20Is.
