Rohit Sharma was said to be asked to captain the Indian cricket team in the T20 matches against South Africa. However, Suryakumar Yadav is currently leading the team.
Image of Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma
The India vs South Africa T20I series is one of the last matches for the Indian cricket team before the T20 Cricket World Cup next year. India hasn’t won an ICC title since 2013, and the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup is seen as an opportunity to break that streak. It looks like the selectors from the BCCI are open to giving chances to young players, keeping an eye on the T20 Cricket World Cup. The team chosen for the South Africa Tour, where India will play three T20Is among other matches, is a youthful one, featuring players like Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, and Tilak Varma.
There were rumors that Rohit Sharma was requested to captain the team currently led by Suryakumar Yadav. However, the usual captain of the Indian team requested some time off from the limited-overs part of the tour. Nevertheless, reports are suggesting that he could be considered for the T20 Cricket World Cup.
Before the first T20I between India and South Africa, Sunil Gavaskar was questioned about India’s probable opening pair, and he shared an intriguing comment.
Sunil Gavaskar, speaking to Star Sports, mentioned the possible opening combinations for the series. He suggested Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad or, for a left-right batting mix, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
“It’s a positive challenge to have. Additionally, we have Rohit Sharma, who is waiting to see if he will be available for the T20 World Cup, but that’s yet to be confirmed.”
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has commended the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, stating that he has performed admirably in the ODI World Cup 2023. Speaking on the ‘ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash,’ Gambhir mentioned that India controlled the World Cup and had only one disappointing match.
“In terms of captaincy, Rohit has done an excellent job. Winning five IPL trophies is no easy feat. The way India dominated throughout the recent 50-over World Cup, I had mentioned this even before the final. Regardless of the result, India played like a champion team. One off day doesn’t define Rohit Sharma or this team negatively. Across ten matches, they showed dominance throughout the tournament. It’s unfair to label Rohit Sharma a bad captain just because of one bad game,” remarked Gambhir.
India faced a setback in the marquee tournament, losing the final to Australia after securing 10 consecutive victories.
The 42-year-old former player expressed the view that if Rohit Sharma is in good form, he should lead the Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
