The T20 format evolves so rapidly that it is possible a batter’s experience might actually work against him. In the debate over whether to choose both stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the World T20 in June, this is the philosophical conundrum India’s selectors grapple with.
In sport, the more you play the better you get at what you are doing. A spinner like Ravichandran Ashwin, who turns 38 this year, has more tricks up his sleeve than he had a decade ago. Kohli and Rohit understand their batting better than they did a decade ago.
In the five-day game, a batter has to necessarily find the balance between attack and defence, and a lot of elements go into finding that balance. Experience, instinct, the ability to see a situation develop, the skill to read a bowler and get into his head over a long period are only some of these.
