During the decade of the 2010s, the cricketing world recognised a quartet of exceptional batters, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Joe Root, who were collectively dubbed the 'Fab Four'. These individuals, through their extraordinary talent and consistent performances, ascended to become giants of the game across all formats. While all four players remain active in international cricket, given that they are all in their mid-30s, it is reasonable to anticipate that their playing careers at this level may be entering their final few years. In fact, Virat Kohli has already retired from both Test and T20 international cricket, and Steve Smith has stepped away from the One Day International format. As the cricket fraternity continues to cherish the contributions of this 'Fab Four', discussions have already commenced regarding who might constitute the next generation's equivalent.
Kane Williamson on next Fab Four of world cricket
Interestingly, one of the original 'Fab Four' members, Kane Williamson, has already offered his perspective on this intriguing question. Williamson sees the next Fab Four in India's Shubman Gill, Yashavi Jaiswal, New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra and England's Harry Brook. He also didn't forget to mention Australia's Cameron Green's name in the same breath.
"Who could be the four generational players across formats?" Williamson was quizzed during an interaction with ESPN Cricinfo.
"The players that come to mind in terms of multi-format are: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rachin Ravindra, Harry Brook. And also Cameron Green. Those are all outstanding players and have shown fantastic moments in all formats. All young and their games are just growing," Williamson replied.
The concept of a 'Fab Four' in cricket is not entirely new. For a considerable period, it was primarily associated with the Indian cricket team, where the formidable batting lineup of Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman dominated the Test arena with their consistent run-scoring prowess. Later, a fifth member, Virender Sehwag – considered India's greatest Test opener after Sunil Gavaskar – joined this elite group. However, following their retirements starting around 2012, a new 'Fab Four' emerged on the international stage, comprising Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root. These four powerful batsmen from their respective nations single-handedly shaped their legacies over approximately fifteen years. This dominance occurred even while Australia possessed David Warner, India had Rohit Sharma, New Zealand featured Tom Latham, and England boasted talents like Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan. Despite this competition, Kohli, Williamson, Root, and Smith were the four batsmen who consistently made the most significant impact.
Talking about the young Indian duo of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, both will be seen in action in the upcoming Test series against England which is set to start from June 20. Jaiswal has proved his batting might in Test format and in a short span of time, has become India's mainstay in the longest format. His debut was marked by a century and a record-breaking series against England at home where he amassed over 700 runs. Notably, last year, when many batters struggled against the Australian bowling attack in Australia, the young left-handed opener was a standout performer for India as he finished the series with 391 runs under his belt including a stellar century in Perth Test.