The New Breed Of Indian Cricketers

With a Slew of Young, Talented and Extremely Confident Cricketers Coming Through the Ranks, the Future of Indian Cricket Appears to Be in Safe Hands. 
 

- Anand Vasu

It was not long ago that the Indian fan was in serious self-doubt. Brought up on a steady diet of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and later Virender Sehwag, even while Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh were doing their thing with the ball, there was never a shortage of confidence. These kind of riches, all at once (not merely in talent or potential, but time and tested quality that consistently translated into performances) generally come once in a lifetime in any country’s sporting fortunes. It was therefore only natural that fans had a sense that tough times were to follow when this group moved on.

In India, where the obsession with individuals and personalities reaches fever pitch in cricket and Bollywood, it was only a matter of time before the search for the next Tendulkar or Dravid began. Fortunately, though, there was a Mahendra Singh Dhoni to preside over the transition, a singular cricketer with a unique style and clear, firm ideas about the kind of cricket he wanted his team to play. Equally relevant was the fact that Dhoni gave up the Test captaincy, and with it his spot in the team, as soon as he realised the time was right, instead of trying to prolong his career or tick some milestone boxes.