It’s going to take time to bridge the gap: BCCI Prez on India’s T20 team without Rohit, Virat

PTI, Jun 30, 2024, 11:48 AM IST

Roger Binny (credit: AP / File)

BCCI President Roger Binny says it will take another two-three years for the Indian T20 team to “come into its own” again given the void that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s international retirement from the format will create.

Rohit, 37, and Virat, 35, called it quits from T20Is after playing pivotal roles in India’s second world triumph in the format here. The 2007 champions defeated South Africa by seven runs in a high-voltage summit clash on Saturday to end their painful 11-year wait for an ICC trophy.

“There is so much talent in the IPL. Lot of cricketers are coming through but it is going to take some time to bridge the gap (after retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from T20Is),” Binny said in a media interaction after the final.

“They have contributed so much. It’s going to take time. We will probably see in the next two-three years, the team coming back into it’s own without them,” he added.

Rohit leaves T20Is with 4231 runs from 159 matches, having made five hundreds and 32 fifties.

In 125 T20I matches, Kohli scored 4188 runs at an average of 48.69 with 122 being his highest. That was his only T20 century – coming against Afghanistan in September 2022.

Both will continue to be active in the IPL and the ODI and Test formats internationally.

Binny, who was a part of the 1983 ODI World Cup title win, said that maiden World Cup elevated India from underdogs to contenders and it has not changed thanks to the large talent pool.

“In 1983, we went as underdogs. But after that, that tag was taken off us. Whenever we go into World Cup, people expect India to win. No one is taking us lightly anymore,” he said.

The just-concluded mega-event marks the end of head coach Rahul Dravid’s tenure. Speculation is rife that former opener Gautam Gambhir will take over from him but Binny chose to keep mum on the matter.

“Nothing concrete has come yet. Gautam Gambhir has a lot of experience. He has worked with teams. He played Test matches, ODIs, T20s. Let’s see,” he said.