"Guys like Sachin can't play forever and it's important that the young Indian players who come through the IPL are all-round players, not just in batting and bowling, as most of the Indian players are, but also as good fielders," Rhodes, who is Mumbai Indians fielding coach, told PTI here.
"They've got quite a few young Indian players and what I think the organisers are trying to do is to make sure that once the Tendulkars and the Harbhajans retire, the younger guys coming through will carry India," he added.
Rhodes said his job is to try and teach the players the importance of fielding.
"What I'm trying to get across to them is that fielding is important to a one-day game, especially in 20-over games where one run can make a difference. I've seen that in the 1999 World Cup against Australia and the World Cup against Sri Lanka in South Africa.