Virat Kohli made a brief statement after his unbeaten 101 out of 61 during the broadcaster’s mid-round interview: “A lot of people think my T20 cricket is on the decline. But I don’t think so. Strike rates depend on the situations in which you strike. I find ways to fill gaps and limitations. There is little debate that Kohli was a round of mastering his skills. Within hours, however, Gill was ahead of him with an undefeated 104 on 52 balls. It’s ironic that Kohli himself said Gill would lead the next generation in one of his social media posts last week.
Over the past two months and a few IPL seasons, India’s young batting breed have consistently proven they are a bit ahead of their predecessors in T20 cricket. Be it Rinku Singh, Yasashvi Jaiswal, Jitesh Sharma, Shubman Gill or Rahul Tewatia, they have all embraced the uninhibited brand of T20 cricket.
Indian T20 cricket in world events is deprecated. Runs came from the bats of Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. But they consistently lacked impact. It is not a lack of intention. This is to follow the evolution of the game.
Kohli only hitting a six after beating the whole 20 overs is an example of this. RCB enduring another mid-order meltdown might be one reason, but six-strike skill in contemporary cricket hardly depends on situations. There is this stubbornness to beat deep and play the role of anchor that worked very well half a decade ago. However, the T20 world has been moving on for quite some time now.
This group of up-and-coming drummers, unlike Kohli’s generation, were raised entirely on a T20 diet. Kohli is the last of the generation who was raised in an environment where preserving your wicket was the foundation of the stick.
Both the Gills and the Jaiswals, in their formative years, spent equal amounts of time practicing striking and strengthening techniques. Stick drills, fitness routines, strength training and analytical study are at a level that would be unfathomable 15 years ago. When Rahul Dravid played in his first U-19 World Cup as a manager in 2016, he said his mind was stunned by the youngsters’ power and ability to hit six. What we are seeing now is that generational change is taking on a face.
Kohli is correct that his T20 cricket is not on the way. Go through his records, there may be a few bumps in the last few years, but they have never gone down. Along with Kohli, Rohit, Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan had all peaked in T20 cricket in 2016. The saying ‘class is permanent’ will always hold true and they will come back again and again to prove it. They are too good for less than international attacks. It’s just that their best is often insufficient for their teams.
India’s T20 team has been under the influence of IPL for quite some time now. Dinesh Karthik rode the wave last year and halfway through the T20 World Cup, the team management felt he was not up to it. Looking ahead to the T20 World Cup next year, Indian cricket keepers need to take a call if they want to go with the regular or the fast and furious. They seemed to have taken the call with Hardik Pandya leading a team minus the pillars.
For now in T20 cricket, the younger boys are telling the faithful they can do better. For once, the faithful are catching up!
