Indian cricket has always been blessed with a megastar, from the Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar and now Virat Kohli; these cricketers have entertained Indian fans of different generations. However, Gavaskar and Tendulkar both were not very successful captains which is not the case with Virat Kohli. Kohli has already achieved enormous high in his short career as a captain. In the 30 Tests he has led in, India has won 19 matches and lost just three.
Ever since Kohli made international debut under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, he had seen many great players retire. When he came to the Indian side, it was tough getting in the team as the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni were already in the middle order. Breaking into the Indian middle-order from 2008 to 2011 was tough, but Kohli availed his opportunities and made a name for himself in the team.
However, since the successful 2011 World Cup campaign, players like Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have been struggling to make a place for themselves in the team. It’s been six years since the 2011 World Cup, and the critics and pundits have been critical about these ousted players making a comeback to the team and failing to live up to their reputations. Let’s have a look at some of these players who can retire in Virat Kohli’s era.
- Pragyan Ojha
Image Courtesy: Web
Once famed as India’s next big thing in Indian spin department, Ojha made his international debut in 2008 in the ODI format against Bangladesh; however, his ODI statistics don’t do justice to his talent. His Test record is quite impressive on the other hand; he has played 24 Tests and has picked up 113 wickets. He played his last ODI in 2012 and his last Test in 2013. He is nowhere near to get a place in the Indian side, so the only logical conclusion is his retirement.
- Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh was the first Indian ever to take a Test hat-trick. Image Courtesy: Getty Images
Famously known as the turbanator, Harbhajan Singh is India’s most successful off spinner and second on the list of highest wicket-taker (417) by an off spinner in Test matches. Harbhajan was India’s primary off spinner before Ravichandran Ashwin made a mark for himself in the Indian team. Harbhajan played his last international match in 2015. The 37-year-old veteran is eyeing for a spot for the 2019 World Cup, but is very unlikely to make it and will announce his retirement.
- Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir (Photo Source: Twitter)
India’s World Cup final hero in both 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 50-over World Cup is also struggling to make it to the Indian despite some decent performances in the domestic circuit. The 36-year-old opening batsman is fighting for a spot to open the innings, but current openers are performing pretty well. He last played for India in Test matches in November 2016.
- Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh (Photo Source: Twitter)
The flamboyant southpaw is eyeing for a spot in the squad for the 2019 World Cup to be played in England. Yuvraj is currently working on his fitness in the NCA in Bangalore. Yuvraj last played against West Indies earlier this year in the Caribbean. He is on record saying that 2019 World Cup will be his final campaign for the Indian team.
- MS Dhoni
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 24: MS Dhoni of India celebrates his team’s victory with Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan looking on during the Twenty20 Championship Final match between Pakistan and India at The Wanderers Stadium on September 24, 2007, in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)
India’s World Cup winning captain in both T20 and 50-over format MS Dhoni has been under serious scrutiny for his inconsistent performance off-late and is also looking to make it until the 2019 World Cup. The 36-year-old wicket-keeper batsman will most probably make it to the World Cup, but the tournament will most likely be his last in Indian colours.