Leeds: As India prepares to face England in the high-stakes Test series beginning June 20, the unexpected retirement announcements of veterans Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin have sparked large discussion. While fans grieve the conclusion of an era, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar takes a grounded approach, stating that generational changes in Indian cricket are inevitable.
Tendulkar acknowledged the trio's emotional impact during the transition, but insisted that adaptation is nothing new in Indian cricket.
The Indian squad is presently undergoing a change. There are new faces, and some of the senior players are still here to guide them, and this turnover will continue for years to come. It has been going on for decades, he explained.
Drawing from personal experience, the Master Blaster remembered how comparable changes had occurred in the past, when his own generation handed over the baton.
At some point, the current players must retire, and new faces come to replace them and begin their journey. Even when we were playing, whether it was Sehwag (Virender), Ganguly (Sourav), Dravid (Rahul), Laxman (VVS), myself, Anil Kumble, Yuvraj (Singh), or Dhoni (MS), we all retired at some point and the next generation took over, Tendulkar said.
So, this process will continue, and I have no doubt that the new generation is skilled, he said.
Tendulkar also expressed confidence in India's talent pool, urging patience and trust in the newcomers.
In terms of ability, there are many skilled players in our country. I hope they take advantage of the opportunity provided to them, he added.
Reflecting on the retirements of Kohli, Rohit, and Ashwin, Sachin was clear-sighted yet appreciative.
So, that procedure, in which you mentioned Virat and Rohit, has also seen the addition of another name, Ashwin, who has retired. These three retirements, I mean, will continue. He emphasized that their contribution will always be valued.
The India tour of England will take place from June 20 to August 4, 2025, with matches at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London).
A new era dawns for India in Test cricket as the modern-day giants prepare for their first assignment without prized batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill, India's youngest Test captain, has taken over the reigns from Rohit to lead the country to victory and challenge for the World Test Championship mace.
India's squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.
England's Playing XI for the first Test against India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
