Usman Khawaja living in the moment with an eye on Ashes future

As per Usman Khawaja, his Test cricket journey remains firmly rooted in three fundamentals: body, mind, and enjoyment. Following his impressive performance in the recent Ashes series, where he emerged as the highest run-scorer across both teams, the 36-year-old Australian opener is committed to taking it one series at a time.

Khawaja expressed his thoughts on the upcoming home Ashes series in 2025-26. With a grin, he said that he is not thinking too far ahead and is going to take one series at a time.

"In 2025…one series at a time I go with. You can get ahead of yourself and look to that time [in 2025] and think, 'I can probably get there,' but I don't want to [do that]," Khawaja said in an exclusive interaction during Cricket Australia's Play Cricket Week event in Brisbane.

Khawaja emphasised the significance of assessing his physical well-being, mental state, and overall enjoyment before committing to further Test cricket.

"I like playing one summer at a time and seeing how the body is going, how the mind is going, and whether I am enjoying it. It is those three things. I am ticking those three boxes at the moment, so I will keep playing."

Khawaja shared his delight in witnessing cricket's popularity surge

Reflecting on the recent Ashes series, he said, "I've had more than 50 people tell me the last couple of weeks how much sleep they lost watching the Ashes."

Despite not winning the Ashes trophy, he highlighted Australia's dominant run in the Ashes over the years, underscoring the team's accomplishments and England's challenge to reverse the trend.

Looking ahead to upcoming matches against Pakistan and West Indies, Khawaja expressed excitement about sharing the opening partnership with David Warner, who is set to bid farewell to Test cricket after the summer. He also lauded potential successors in the opening ranks, naming Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw, and Cameron Bancroft as viable options.