Dhoni, Pant and fading glory of our superstars

With Rohit and Virat's retirement, two big wickets fell, and one unexpected fallout of their exit is Indian cricket's 'superstar culture' nearing its expiry date.

- Amrit Mathur

When questions were asked after India were drubbed at home by New Zealand and overseas by Australia, disturbing truths spilled out. Distressing details of the toxic dressing room culture of leaks, disagreements and divisions in the team. These reports could be exaggerated, but it appeared players were on their own trip: staying in hotels of their choice, using private cars instead of the team bus, accompanied by large entourages comprising family, children, cook, masseur, media manager.

This represented an unprecedented and unacceptable collapse of team tradition and the SOPs when touring abroad.

Signs of this crisis were visible for a while. The disinterest of top stars in domestic cricket was no secret. Giving the Ranji Trophy a miss was an indication players chose to play by their own rules. The superstars lived in a bubble of celebrity; they called the shots, and the grind of four-day red-ball cricket did not excite them.

That had to correct. When BCCI cracked the whip to make Ranji mandatory, players dutifully presented themselves, but a rude jolt awaited them. Most superstars failed, and multiple-times winners Mumbai were humiliated by Jammu and Kashmir.