T20 World Cup 2022: Is it the end of an era for certain playing legends?

Several teams are currently featuring players who, while having fearsome reputations, might not quite have the performances to back it up – or are getting up there in age.

India has at least two or three players in that boat and has seemingly made a call on at least two of them.

Neither Ravichandran Ashwin nor Dinesh Karthik doesn't feature in the white-ball squads for the New Zealand and Bangladesh series.

In DK's case, this would be his final World Cup. Ashwin's case could have been more transparent, mainly because he seems to be brought back to the side from World Cup to World Cup.

But it is clear that, at least in the short term, they aren't in the scheme of things. But they aren't the only players who might be facing the end of their careers.

Rohit Sharma, India's all-format skipper, was always seen as a stop-gap captaincy option when he replaced Virat Kohli.

However, his recent form has also been a cause for concern – at least in T20Is. His place in the ODI side looks secure until at least the 2023 World Cup unless things change massively.

They are just some of the top sides facing this problem, too. Australia faces a critical decision over Steve Smith's and David Warner's futures.

They appear to have made one on Smith, who is primarily a squad option in T20Is and doesn't currently find a place in Australia's strongest T20I eleven.

However, the case needs to be more apparent with Warner. He's had a poor World Cup, but before the tournament, there were murmurs about lifting his captaincy ban and handing him the reins in the shortest format.

That debate appears dead for now, mainly thanks to the resurgence in the form of Aaron Finch. However, a call might still have to be taken on Warner, especially with Cameron Green snapping hard at his heels.

England, the one side with minor holes to plug, also has a Ben Stokes-shaped hole in their playing XI. This isn't because he's missing; his performances have yet to exceed expectations.

Again, England has plenty of choices in their squad, and while Stokes remains a bonafide match-winner in Tests, his big hitting has sometimes translated poorly to T20Is.

Would England make their top all-rounder drop his focus from T20Is and increase his efforts towards reviving a Test side that needs an upturn in fortunes? It would be an excellent call to action for sure.

All in all, this is a transitory World Cup for many sides. So enjoy watching these legends play for their countries while you can – for it might not happen for too long after the World Cup.