Yeh dono khiladi na sirf apne runs ke liye jaane jaate the, balki apni leadership aur passion ke liye bhi. Kohli, jinhone 123 Test matches mein 9,230 runs banaye, aur Rohit, jinke tactical dimaag ne team ko kai jeet dilayi, unka na hona team ke liye ek badi chunauti hai. Monty Panesar, jo ek samay England ke spinner the, ne kaha ki Kohli ka retirement shayad is wajah se hua kyunki unhone apne batting struggles ka koi hal na dekha, khaas kar off-stump ke bahar ki ball ke saath. Yeh baat dil ko chhooti hai kyunki Kohli jaisa khiladi, jinhone 2018 mein England ke tour par shandaar comeback kiya tha, ab team ke sath nahi hoga. Unki woh 149 runs ki century Lord’s mein, jab unhone James Anderson ko dominate kiya, aaj bhi yaad hai. Lekin ab, jab Indian team 20 June se England ke khilaaf five-match Test series khelne utregi, unki kami har jagah mehsoos hogi.
Lekin is andhere ke baad ek nayi roshni bhi dikh rahi hai. Shubman Gill, jo ab 25 saal ke hain, team ke naye Test captain bane hain. Yeh ek bada mauka hai unke liye aur poori team ke liye. Gill ne kaha hai ki woh apna alag captaincy style banayenge, communication aur players ke confidence par focus karte hue. Unki yeh baat dil ko chooti hai kyunki woh na sirf ek talented batsman hain, balki ek aisa leader bhi dikh rahe hain jo team ko ek naye daur mein le ja sakta hai. Monty Panesar ne bhi is naye Indian team se ummeed jatai hai. Unhone kaha, “Main chahta hoon ki yeh young Indian team Virat Kohli ki legacy ko aage badhaye.” Yeh legacy sirf runs ya centuries ki nahi hai, balki us intensity, passion, aur Test cricket ke prati pyar ki hai jo Kohli ne dikhai. Panesar ne ek naye khiladi, B Sai Sudharsan, ki bhi taareef ki, jo IPL 2025 mein Gujarat Titans ke liye 759 runs banakar Orange Cap jeete. Unka kehna hai ki Sudharsan, jo ab Test debut ke liye tayaar hain, woh ek naye superstar ban sakte hain.
Is nayi team mein aur bhi talented khiladi hain. Yashasvi Jaiswal, jinhone apne debut series mein hi dhoom machayi thi, aur KL Rahul, jo Australia tour par solid batting kiye, team ke pillars ho sakte hain. Ricky Ponting ne bhi Gill ki captaincy ko support kiya hai aur kaha hai ki India ke paas itna talent hai ki woh Kohli aur Rohit ki kami ko bhar sakte hain. Yaad hai jab 2007 mein Sachin Tendulkar aur Sourav Ganguly ke baad ek nayi generation ne team ko sambhala tha? Us waqt bhi log chinta mein the, lekin Rahul Dravid aur MS Dhoni ke under team ne naye rang dikhaye. Aaj Gill ke paas waisa hi mauka hai. Rishabh Pant, jo ab vice-captain hain, apni aggressive batting aur wicketkeeping se team ko boost de sakte hain. Unki 2021 ki Gabba century, jahan unhone Australia ko hara diya, aaj bhi ek yaadgaar pal hai. Yeh nayi team bhi aise hi iconic moments bana sakti hai.
Lekin yeh safar aasan nahi hoga. England mein Test cricket hamesha tough hota hai. Swinging conditions, fast bowlers jaise James Anderson ya Ollie Robinson, aur Bazball approach wali England team ke khilaaf khelna koi mamuli baat nahi. Gill ne kaha hai ki unhe koi extra pressure nahi mehsoos hota, lekin sachchai yeh hai ki Rohit aur Kohli ke bina dressing room mein woh experience ki kami hogi jo bade matches mein kaam aati hai. Kuldeep Yadav ne bhi kaha tha ki in dono ke retirement ne unhe shock kiya kyunki aise bade series mein apke best players ki zarurat hoti hai. Michael Clarke ne toh yahan tak kaha ki agar India 5-0 se haar jati hai, toh shayad Kohli ko wapas bulaya jaaye, lekin yeh sirf ek possibility hai. Abhi ke liye, Gill aur unki young team ke kandhon par ek badi zimmedari hai. Agar woh Kohli ki legacy ko aage nahi le ja paye, toh shayad Indian Test cricket ka woh aura, jo itne saalon se bana tha, dheere-dheere kamzor pad sakta hai.
