No Indian fan would want to see Rohit Sharma drag his tired body into the dug-out on Saturday afternoon in Barbados while feigning a tear that was welling up at the corner of his eye.

Reliving Virat Kohli’s vacant expression at the pedestal that held the prized ODI World Cup trophy precisely seven months and ten days ago would be too much for any Indian fan to handle.

They would undoubtedly want to see the two greats perform a remarkable tango—possibly their “last dance”—in the shortest possible game, if only in Indian colors.

If one is aware of the way Indian cricket is evolving, the national selectors and the BCCI brass both want the trio of Kohli, Rohit, and Ravindra Jadeja to finish the competition on a high note.

This is because, with the 2026 T20 World Cup in India in mind, the Zimbabwe series next month would undoubtedly bring in a new era.

The core must be decided upon two years in advance for any global trophy to be prepared for, and in 2026, a 39-year-old Rohit, a nearly 38-year-old Kohli, or even Jadeja, are unlikely to fit in.

No one wants to use the sensitive “R” word in relation to T20Is at this point because everyone is focused on the final, but if India wins in Barbados on Saturday against South Africa, both captain Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli will know that they have exhausted all other options in this format.

With the exception of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shah Rukh Khan, who is not a cricket player, they are still two of the biggest names in the IPL, therefore an official announcement may or may not be made.

With the three ICC white-ball trophies (the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy) in his trophy cabinet, it will mark the end of a cycle for Kohli.

You never know whether the two greats will do anything similar, but Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara both opted to give up the shortest format after defeating India in that 2014 T20 World Cup final.

With 8,334 T20I runs, six centuries, 69 fifties, and 119 catches between them, Kohli and Rohit—two generational talents—are the last link connecting the old and young, and they both deserve to be in the same picture holding the trophy.

Although they each won the World Cup, the Dhonis, Sachin Tendulkar, and Yuvraj Singh were much more deserving of those two triumphs.

Egos are a characteristic of champions; some have very noticeable egos, while others keep them hidden.

After Kohli was dismissed against England, one could see the anguish in his eyes. You take your chances if you try to exclude the “king” from the championship.

If one had to sum up Rohit’s November 19, 2023, it would be “Is Raat Ki Subaah Nahi,” a 1996 cult hit by Sudhir Mishra.

He would be aching for a resolution even if he claims to have moved on and that the wounds have healed.

With some degree of surety, one can state that Rohit would not have been anxious to compete in this T20 World Cup if India had won the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Regarding the worldwide victory of the white ball, he seeks some kind of closure. That would come from winning the T20 World Cup.

His appeal is natural. Junior players looked up to Dhoni as “Mahi bhai,” a guy they respected. Kohli’s enormous on-field accomplishments won him respect. However, Rohit receives pure adoration from both juniors and peers.

It’s understandable that Ravichandran Ashwin chokes up while explaining how, during a Test match, the captain ordered one of the team physios to go with the spinner to Chennai when his mother had a health scare.

Together, they have experienced the highs and lows of Indian cricket for almost ten years.

They came when the Nokia 3310 was popular, and now that they are becoming older, they are seeing a shift in the kind of fans they have: about every third owner of an Android phone is either a “Viratian” or a “Rohitian.”

Fortunately, Rohit and Kohli have satisfied all their questions.

It will be challenging to replace the vacuum not just in terms of talent but also, and maybe more so, emotionally, if Saturday is indeed their “last dance” in Twenty20 Internationals.