This is a festive week and may I say sport, above everything, brings joy. And the two men who have given fans a lot of joy in the last couple of months are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There were talks about whether they could still make things happen in the 50-over format now that they no longer play much cricket. In fact, between May and October, they did not play any cricket and the questions were asked. In sport, it is only about performance, and there was a question mark over Rohit and Virat, whether they could continue to perform.
The first indication was when they agreed to put themselves up for selection for the Australia tour. Having achieved everything, they need not have played a relatively inconsequential bilateral ODI series if there was no long-term plan. But the hunger is still there and it defined the two stalwarts in the last couple of months… The hunger and the determination to succeed.
In this festive season, that’s the major takeaway. After having achieved all that was there to be achieved, the hunger is still there. More than ever. They were willing to put reputations on the line and challenge themselves. Be out there and take body blows, but prove that they still had the game.
Now that they have played domestic cricket, it can safely be said that both are eyeing the 2027 World Cup. That’s the goal. Yes, the tournament is still 20 months away and there is a lot of time to go, the truth also is that once we are in 2026, things are just round the corner. So all Rohit and Virat need to do is push themselves for the coming year. If they do so, the World Cup is within touching distance. From what we have seen in Australia and in the home series against South Africa, they are very much on song for one final push.
This is the Christmas gift for every Indian cricket fan. The hunger and the commitment from the two stalwarts. They want to do it for India and for themselves. And in doing so, give it back to the sport and to the fans. Both have young families and could easily have opted to play domestic cricket in the first week of January post-Christmas and New Year. They did not. Every minute spent out there in the middle will help them and they know it.
Cricket is still the main driver for both and it has been evident from the efforts they are putting in. From shedding weight to doing the hard yards, they have already made their intent clear. For Indian cricket, this will certainly rank as one of the highpoints of circa 2025.
With the two of them playing domestic cricket, look at the buzz around it. People are following and every player, from their own teams and the opposition, will benefit from seeing them around. Himanshu Sangwan became a household name when he dismissed Virat in a Ranji Trophy game earlier this year and with the two titans playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, domestic cricket has once again become fashionable.
These are good signs for Indian cricket, something that has brought smiles on the faces of fans. In a tough world, these smiles are a dire need.
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