"You can't push Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli or KL Rahul out" - Ricky Ponting backs India's seniors amid fast-emerging talents

Ricky Ponting believes that despite India's ever-increasing pool of talented cricketers and the recent group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup 2021, senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are unlikely to be displaced anytime soon.

The two-time ODI World Cup winning captain's remarks came in an interaction with The Grade Cricketer. He was asked whether India need to fast-track some of the young IPL stars like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devdutt Padikkal to the main team to see if they could perform better than the current core.

In reply, Ricky Ponting said that India can try and make a few tweaks, but that the main pillars of the team will remain put. He argued that these doubts over the abilities of the seniors only arise because there is just too much good talent.

Ricky Ponting said:

"They had Ishan Kishan and Suryakymar Yadav in the squad, they are starting to bring a few younger guys in. Shreyas Iyer, he was one of the emergencies [sic] around the squad but you are not going to push Rohit Sharma out, Virat out or KL Rahul out. They have got Hardik Pandya in there, maybe if he's not bowling, they can use one of those younger blokes in the middle order but yeah there's just so many of them."

He added:

"So many good young players that when one of their senior guys doesn't go well you think 'Better put these young blokes in' but yeah, they have got too many that's why these questions come up."

Team India showed a visible preference for the flair of youth over the experience of veterans in the World Cup, but it didn't work. The selectors have stuck with that approach by bringing in Gaikwad, Venkatesh Iyer and Avesh Khan to the fold for the New Zealand series. It remains to be seen how India's youth policy will evolve in the next 12 months or so.

---

"They were just exhausted" - Ricky Ponting on India's T20 World Cup 2021 campaign

Ricky Ponting also attributed India's World Cup ouster to a tight schedule in the leadup to the tournament. He suggested that the players were "just exhausted" with all the traveling and bubble lives which hindered their progress.

Ricky Ponting said:

"Yeah, I think, they were just exhausted. I mean, their run, what they have had - you've got to understand where they have been. There whole country has been in lockdown and the last year's IPL in the UAE, they played their domestic cricket at home, then went to England in between then straight into another bubble in the UAE, played there and then straight into the World Cup. Now they've got New Zealand two days after the World Cup."

India are currently leading the three-match T20I series against the Black Caps 1-0. The second match will be held in Ranchi, starting at 7:00 IST on Friday.