How long ago was actually April 2, 2011 — the night India regained the ICC World Cup? Four years could be a long time in the life of a sportsperson, and it could still seem lightyears away for the ‘Big Five’ of Indian cricket.

As the month-long countdown begins for cricket’s biggest showpiece, one cannot help but spare a thought for these five men out in the cold — Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir. Men who played their part in bringing the cup back to India after an agonising wait of 28 years, with ‘Yuvi’ standing out as the Man of the Tournament with his all-round performances.

The writing on the wall was quite clear for some time and the decision-makers in Indian cricket showed they were not willing to change their minds when they shunned naming them even in the 30-member probables list. But there was, all of a sudden, a slim window of opportunity for Yuvraj as Ravindra Jadeja looked a doubtful starter on the eve of selection, but reality sank in as soon as the 15-member squad was announced in the first week of January.

Their exclusion was so much of a foregone conclusion that, in the post-mortems of selection — a favourite pastime in India — nobody was willing to shed a tear for the five men who had contributed to Indian cricket’s journey immensely over the last decade and more. Maybe it’s still not time to write an appraisal of the careers all too soon, but it’s certainly worth pondering over their achievements for a while.

Do we start with Sehwag, whose blazing starts had won India more matches in both Tests and ODIs than than some of his illustrious counterparts? Or ‘Bhajji’, who was the lynchpin of the Indian spin attack along with Anil Kumble for so long?

What about the contribution of Zaheer, who was the highest wicket-taker for India during the 2011 campaign, or Gambhir, who formed a dreaded opening partnership with Sehwag in two formats?

And then, of course, there was ‘Yuvi’. Life had indeed come full circle for him in these past four years — pinnacle of cricketing glory, a brush with death, followed by one of the greatest comebacks in the history of any sport — then being consigned to the sidelines again.

Where do, then, these five men go from here? Interestingly, they have been discreet enough in their silence following their World Cup snubs, not willing to accede to any interview requests in general. Any talk of retirement remains a cagey subject, though an unavoidable one in the near future.

There could still be a glimmer of hope for Gambhir in Tests — though the emergence of young incumbents like Lokesh Rahul will continue to make the case difficult for him. Gambhir, along with Yuvraj, has of course shown the stomach for a fight — though we will have to wait and watch to see if it pays off in time.