The playing phase of any athlete is quite limited in their lifespan. And more often than not, once a player crosses a certain age, the first dip in performance raises questions about how long the athlete can still perform at the top level. Indian T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav, speaking on Express Adda, said in his view, age is just a number.
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“According to me, age is just a number. If you are scoring runs and doing everything your team wants, then it is just a number. I was reading about James Anderson recently. He is in his mid-40s (43 years) now, and he recently renewed his contract with Lancashire. So I think age is just a number. If you are doing well, then it is in our hands till when you want to play,” the 35-year-old said in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director of The Indian Express Group, and Devendra Pandey, Deputy Associate Editor.
According to a report that emerged from the BBC, Anderson’s contract will now be extended till the 2026 season, which will take the veteran’s age to 44 years when he plays next season.
Interestingly enough, there have also been discussions about Rohit Sharma’s (38 years) and Virat Kohli’s (36 years) future in international cricket. Both players have called it a day in the T20I and Test formats, and recently, the former has been replaced by Shubman Gill as vice-captain. When asked about both Rohit and Kohli’s presence in the 2027 ODI World Cup neither Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar nor Head Coach Gautam Gambhir gave a definitive answer.
Indian Head Coach Gautam Gambhir, after the win against West Indies, acknowledged that the 50-over World Cup is still two and a half years away, and it is important to stay in the present when asked about Rohit and Kohli.
“The 50-over World Cup is still two and a half years away. It is very important to stay in the present. Obviously, they are quality players. They are coming back. Their experience is going to be valuable in Australia. Hopefully, those two guys can have a successful tour, and more importantly, as a team, we can have a successful series,” said Gambhir, addressing the press conference.
Indian Chief selector Ajit Agarkar while announcing the squad for the Australia series, said: I mean, that’s the format they are at the moment playing (Virat and Rohit). We picked them, but as far as the 2027 World Cup is concerned. I don’t think we need to talk about it today. Obviously, with the captaincy change, that’s generally the thought.
