India cricket has perhaps reached a point where rebuilding is necessary. Their performance in the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup group stage was dominant, landing them at the top of the scoring table. However, when their best performance was needed the most, they weren’t able to do so. As a result, they were eliminated from the world cup in their semi-final match against New Zealand, who they would have played against had their game not been canceled because of bad weather.
The Men in Blue have accepted that their performance in the semi-finals was lackluster and subpar, and are looking to future tournaments to better themselves. According to cricinfo, their next tournament will be a tour in West Indies, where they will be playing three ODIs, three T20s, and two Tests. This month-long tour will be an opportunity for India to improve their skills, as well as see if the ‘pieces of the puzzle fit,’ citing that the team hasn’t been put together yet. When it is, the BCCI will see if the chemistry of the players will click.
While other players are yet to be included in the roster, captain Virat Kohli is set to play for all the matches India will play in their tour of the West Indies. He is looking to put the blunders that their team encountered in the semi-finals (where the cricket score saw them lose by 18 runs) behind them and start with a fresh slate. Kohli has told the selectors that he will be joining the team for the shorter formats as well. This will be the second time India will be touring the Windies under Kohli’s captaincy after 2016. Then Kohli had led India in a four-Test series while India played in a two-match T20I series under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.