When Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from T20 internationals, Indian cricket had to ask itself, “Who will be our next T20 captain?” The popular notion was that Hardik Pandya would captain India when Rohit Sharma did not play T20Is for a year following the 2022 T20 World Cup.
However, there was a surprise in store. Instead of staying with Hardik, the selectors went for Suryakumar Yadav. There was only one explanation for it: Hardik’s fitness and new head coach Gautam Gambhir’s reluctance to work with a skipper with a history of injuries. In the meantime, Shubman Gill was named captain of India’s tour of Zimbabwe, which came as a surprise to many. The decision was surprising because Gill was chosen over Ruturaj Gaikwad. But the BCCI’s faith in Gill was demonstrated when he was named India’s vice-captain in T20Is and Rohit Sharma’s deputy in ODIs, signaling that he is the Indian team’s future captain.
Can Gill Replace Rohit Sharma?
Gill defeated a couple of other contenders, including Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer. However, Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selectors, accurately summarized why the board chose Gill.
“Rishabh has been absent for a long time. You need to get him to play. That is the first thing. He will be an important contributor as a player like Rohit Sharma. Hasn’t played much cricket. We’ve seen what he’s capable of – he’s practically single-handedly won the Test series – and we want him back playing first,”
“I don’t want to burden someone who is returning to the game after a year away. KL has not participated in T20 for a long time. Looking ahead, ideally to the next T20 World Cup [in 2026], we have the potential to reset things. We have a little more time,” he stated on Monday before the team left for Sri Lanka.
Another deciding factor in Gill‘s favor was the selectors’ opinion that the 24-year-old is an all-format player. Even though, he was not part of India’s 15-member T20 World Cup-winning squad in the United States and the West Indies. However, he remained the best option because the BCCI could not afford a last-minute crisis that may have jeopardized Indian cricket ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma’s Quick Intervention & Leadership
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Hardik, India’s former vice-captain, had to sit out for over four months, almost costing the country a skipper, before Rohit Sharma came to the rescue. “With the T20 World Cup approaching, Hardik’s injury presented a bit of a dilemma. Rohit did not play at the time. He was nearby, and we were fortunate that Rohit Sharma was accessible to lead. We do not want to be in that circumstance again.
“Shubman is the guy we feel again since he is a three-format player who has shown quality in the recent year or two. And we heard from the dressing rooms,” stated Agarkar. “You try to find someone who can learn from a few of the senior men there. Surya in this situation, or Rohit Sharma, who is still around,”
“So we don’t face the same issues (as) suddenly (you) attempting to find a captain in case of injuries or loss of form anywhere. He’s demonstrated some good leadership characteristics. We want to attempt to get him some experience so he can put it forward. There are no guarantees in life, but that is what we are thinking at the moment.” Agarkar concluded.
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