The much-awaited decision regarding the appointment of India coach, after all the drama on Tuesday evening, came late night. As many expected Ravi Shastri was appointed the gaffer of the Men in Blue for two years, which would also mean that the former Team Director will also be in charge of the team for the next ICC World Cup in 2019.
Shastri will have to take some tough decisions in his two-year span and alongside India captain Virat Kohli, who enjoys a great chemistry with the former India player, they will look to help India win their third world cup title.
With just two years left for the World Cup, the team management will have to have serious plans. They need to build the team for the future. It is at this juncture where the future of two senior statesman MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh comes into the picture. They are no doubt two of the greatest cricketers India has ever produced, but there are concerns if their engine will run dry in two years time.
The question of age always comes into the picture, especially when one looks at the current cricketers, who are fit as a fiddle as well. One is not saying that Dhoni and Yuvraj and not fit, they are, but with age, the body reflexes also slow down and the movement may also hamper.
Dhoni will be nearing 38 while Yuvraj will be past 37 when the ICC World Cup 2019 takes shape.
One does not know if Dhoni and Yuvraj will fit into the scheme of things for the World Cup, which is going to be Ravi's ultimate dream to win this tenure.
"2019 (World Cup) is long way to go. They are both champion cricketers. We will deal with it when the time arrives. I am just getting into the dressing room again, so I need to spend time with the captain (Kohli) and take things forward," Ravi told Indian Today.
There are plenty of young players like Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and others, who are knocking on the selectors' door for a place in the Indian team. They will always provide the India team with a solid bench strength, but one thing is for sure that Ravi has that certain respect for senior cricketers, and will try to get the best out of Dhoni and Yuvraj till they can contribute as they have done in the past.
