"Players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, they are proven, you know what they are all about," the former Indian captain said. "I would go in that (good performers in the IPL) direction so that they get the opportunities, they get the exposure, whilst you keep the Virats and the Rohits fresh for one-day cricket and Test cricket. "Your focus there with that kind of experience should move to Test cricket, red-ball cricket for the future World Test Championship, and they stay fresh so that there is not too much of cricket where there is an overkill." But the two superstars of Indian batting seem to be keen on continuing in all three formats of the game for India.

The selectors, though, haven't picked any of them after India's humiliating defeat to eventual champion England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal. Hardik Pandya, who has been leading the Indian T20 team in Rohit's absence, is expected to be named full-time captain in the shortest format of the game. "The next two World Cups (after the 2023 ODI World Cup) are T20 cricket. He (Hardik) is already (standby) captain of India (in T20Is), so he will continue unless he is not fit," Shastri had earlier said in an interview. "I think they (the selectors) will look into a new direction. There's a lot of talent among the youth at the moment. You might have a pretty much new team; there will be some new faces if not a new team."

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-INP