New Delhi, Oct 26 — Former South African cricketer Lance Klusener believes Indian cricket has the talent to move smoothly into its next era, backing Shubman Gill to lead the team for years while identifying young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as a potential future superstar following the eventual departures of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Klusener said Kohli and Rohit's stature should not prevent Indian cricket from embracing its next generation, stressing that the sport has repeatedly produced players capable of carrying forward the legacy of those who came before them.
The former Proteas all-rounder, currently the head coach of the Arabian Aces in the Abu Dhabi T10 League, made the remarks while speaking to IANS on the sidelines of an event organised for the tournament, as Indian cricket continues to manage the transition from two of its most influential modern-day players.
“As good as Virat and as good as Rohit have been in the past, they will have to walk away from the game when their time comes. But the beauty of cricket is that it carries on. It gets stronger sometimes.
“When we played, people never thought that Sachin Tendulkar’s records would ever be broken. And people are challenging those already. So, players come and go. It’s a sad day when legends of your game and legends of your country step away. But on the bright side, there are always younger, fitter, faster players in the wings as well,” Klusener told IANS.
The former all-rounder described Gill as an “absolute superstar” with the bat and said the young captain’s next challenge would be to separate his responsibilities as a leader from his role as India’s premier batter.
“For me personally, I’m convinced already. I think he’s the right man for the job. He’s an absolute superstar with the bat. It’s probably just being able to separate Shubman Gill as a batter and Shubman Gill as a captain as well. I think all the great captains have been able to separate that. And I’m sure he’ll have a lot of opportunities and a lot of people to lean on in helping him do that.
“But absolutely, I think he’s as good as it gets with a cricket bat. And captaincy, even for old-established captains, you’re learning all the time. He’ll do the same. So, I’m absolutely excited for him. I think he’s a superstar. He’s going to be someone who will serve India with great courage and great purpose for many years to come, hopefully,” he opined.
Gill’s emergence as a leader comes as India prepares for life beyond Kohli and Rohit, who have shaped the country’s cricketing fortunes for more than a decade. While their eventual retirements will leave a considerable void, Klusener believes the transition should be viewed as a natural part of the sport rather than a threat to India’s competitiveness.
He pointed to Sooryavanshi as evidence that another generation of Indian talent is already emerging.
“It’s a balance. Every team is different. Every nation works the retirement of players differently, and players retire every single season. India are facing that now with those two stars. South Africa have faced that with stars that they’ve had as well.
“But cricket goes on. Stars come and go, and legends retire, and people think that it’ll never be the same again. But India doesn’t have to look further than a youngster like Sooryavanshi. There’s the next superstar,” the former Afghanistan head coach stated.
Klusener believes that Gill must manage the two responsibilities independently, with the young leader given time and support to develop his own style. Captaincy, he noted, remains a continuous learning process even for experienced players. Gill will therefore need to draw on the guidance of senior figures around him while gradually taking ownership of India’s next phase.