Rarely does cricket surrender the limelight to any other form of sport in India. Many cricket fans would have said that is impossible – but for the ongoing 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Non-cricket superstars like Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu, apart from other promising sportspersons, are part of the 117-member Indian contingent. Because of the importance of the international multi-sport event, most sports lovers have shifted their attention towards India’s performances.
Young Indian shooter Manu Bhaker has already made us proud by winning a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event. As the Olympics continues, those watching it have a question in their minds. Will the present squad break the record of the best Indian performance created at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which we won seven medals: one gold, two silvers, and four bronze? That is possible, considering the depth of talent in the squad.
Far away from Paris, the Men in Blue led by Suryakumar Yadav and with Gautam Gambhir as their new head coach have won a three-match T20I away series against Sri Lanka. After two convincing Indian wins, the first by 43 runs and the second by seven wickets, the third and final match will be inconsequential. India, the T20 World Cup winner, is ranked first in the ICC rankings and Sri Lanka is ranked eighth. The Men in Blue, in other words, are a much stronger side. Hence, the series win is not a surprise.
Why, then, is this outcome important? Gambhir would have certainly wanted to have a great start on an away tour, which has happened, although the opponent is not South Africa or Australia. SKY, on the other hand, has come a long way since he controversially quit as the skipper of the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team in 2015. In recent times, he got two opportunities to lead the Indian T20I squad: once against Australia in a home series that India won 4-1, followed by an away series against South Africa that India drew 1-1. Whether or not SKY will become a long-term choice remains to be seen, but his selection as the skipper against Sri Lanka has allowed him to make a statement of his leadership ability with a convincing series win again.
Speaking about SKY’s selection before the start of the tour, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said, “We feel that Surya has all the necessary qualities to be a good captain. We wanted a captain, who is likely to play all the games.” About Hardik Pandya, the more likely option before SKY’s selection, Agarkar said, “Fitness has been something he has struggled with. As selectors, it becomes difficult then.” While SKY has made the ideal start with the series win, a couple of questions cannot be answered immediately. What will happen if Pandya is available regularly? And, will Shubman Gill also lead the side periodically — even if the Men in Blue have a strong side for a series against a much better team?
Three Indian seniors retired from the T20I format after India’s T20 World Cup win: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja. Although Kohli and Sharma are all-time T20 legends, they know that India has a reservoir of talent. That is why they made way for the younger lot at the right time of their careers after their dream of winning the T20 World Cup came true. Because of the Indian Premier League, which gives a lot of exposure and opportunities, the Men in Blue have been facing the problem of plenty. The present series against Sri Lanka is a reminder of the cricketing wealth in India — with several promising cricketers who are untested at the international level still waiting for their opportunities someday.
For the Indian series against Zimbabwe played earlier, Gill was made the captain of a new squad that did not have the likes of SKY, Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, who were rested after the T20 World Cup. Several players who played against Zimbabwe did not find a place in the SKY-led team that is playing against Sri Lanka. The list of exclusions included surprising names like Abhishek Sharma, who scored a 46-ball 100 in the second T20I; Mukesh Kumar, who picked up eight wickets in three matches; and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who scored 133 runs in three innings. The performance of the SKY-led squad against Sri Lanka without these players has made the job of selectors even more difficult.
Although a loss in the third T20I will not deny a series win to the Men in Blue, a 3-0 result is what they will want. Moreover, the third match will give this team one more opportunity to perform, which will be useful for the likes of Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson, who will hope for more time at the crease. Parag will also get another opportunity to prove whether he can be viewed as a part-time bowling option against better opposition. A few players, in other words, will have a lot to prove — before the series formally ends without being watched by too many cricket lovers because of the Olympics.
The writer, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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