Retirement benefit: Timely departure of big guns gives space to groom players for 2026 WC

Finding replacements for these three match-winners in the playing eleven is bound to take time. But the transition phase will start as early as next week when a second-string Indian team faces Zimbabwe in five T20Is from July 6. Hardik Pandya, who has been rested from the series, is expected to succeed Rohit as the T20I skipper and will be tracking the progress of the fringe players during his well-deserved break.