It's going to take time to bridge the gap: BCCI Prez on India's T20 team without Rohit, Virat
Bridgetown (PTI): 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.
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Revanth Reddy slams BJP over 'Congress-mukt Bharat' sloganHyderabad, Feb 21 (PTI) Telangana Chief Mi
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday asserted that money is not a priority for Gandhi-Nehru family, saying if the Congress workers pooled funds, they could raise atleast Rs 10,000 crores for the family.
Addressing a training programme organised at Vikarabad near here by AICC for District Congress Committee (DCC) presidents of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he accused the BJP of "insulting" Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi by levelling allegations of corruption against them.
He also said the family had sacrificed three generations for the nation.
"Along with Congress, if there is any party which has a history of 100 years in the country, it is the CPI. All others came into existence as political parties on the basis of freedom we secured, the Constitution we gave and after we (Congress) strengthened the country. Now, they are becoming dangerous parties by giving the slogan of 'Congress-mukt Bharat."
Describing the Congress as the "soul of India", he said parties like BJP are trying to weaken its legacy.
Questioning the corruption charges against the Gandhi-Nehru family, the CM asked, "Is money a priority for the Gandhi family which sacrificed three generations for the sake of the country?"
According to him, Congress workers in Telangana alone could mobilise Rs 1,000 crores if they chose to do so.
He alleged a conspiracy to silence the Gandhi-Nehru family, claiming that it repesents the Dalits, STs and minorities.
Reddy urged Congress leaders and workers to counter such attempts.
Referring to the freedom movement, he said while the Britishers did not take extreme action against Mahatma Gandhi, those with the ideology that BJP inherited took the life of Father of the Nation soon after Independence.
Highlighting the contributions of Nehru family to the country, he said, "Motilal Nehru donated assets worth thousands of crores to the country and Jawaharlal Nehru spent 10 years in jail" during freedom struggle, while former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed their lives.
Though Rahul Gandhi inherited such a great legacy, he undertook a 'padayatra' across the nation, Reddy said.
He also said party workers who remained loyal when the Congress was in the opposition have been rewarded with nominated posts and MLA tickets after it came to power.
"You may feel that nobody is observing you. You may feel you will get (ticket to contest) in some quota if you take the support of a leader just before elections. But, there are no quotas now. Only merit quota is there in Congress," he said.
Reddy also urged the DCC presidents to treat their positions with utmost respect, avoid lobbying for various things and focus on people's welfare.
