Perfect Retirement Timing in Indian Cricket
Perfect retirement timing in Indian cricket seems very elusive, maybe because it's got as much to do with cricket as with public perception and human psychology. The ideal timing is one where people wished you stayed a little longer, when they specifically buy tickets to cherish your last appearance. Few Indian cricketers get this right. I can only think of Sunil Gavaskar and M. S. Dhoni. When one doesn't get this right, each day towards the end becomes miserable. It seems two of the greatest batsmen ever to play for India, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are going through the same. The more celebrated a player you are the more the misery. The lesser players, even someone as accomplished as Cheteswar Pujara, have the "luxury" of being told bluntly that they are no more needed in the team. The problem is particularly worse for batsmen; where there is little room for error. A batsman can get out by playing one bad shot; bowlers on the other hand can survive tens of bad b...