3 players who could replace Rohit Sharma as Indian T20I captain after T20 World Cup 2022
Rohit Sharma became the captain of the Indian T20I team after T20 World Cup 2021. The Men in Blue were knocked out of the Super 12s in that mega event, and Rohit was made the captain with the hope that the five-time IPL-winning captain will lead the nation to the T20 World Cup 2022 championship.
Sharma did a fantastic job as captain and won multiple bilateral series. However, the team's performance did not improve in multi-nation tournaments. The Indian team failed to make it to the Asia Cup 2022 final, and now they have crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2022 even before the summit clash.
Since the next T20 World Cup is in 2024, Rohit Sharma may like to focus more on Tests and ODIs. He will be 37 by the time the next T20 World Cup arrives. The Indian selectors will look to appoint a new T20I captain soon, keeping the T20 World Cup 2024 in mind.
On that note, here's a list of three Indian players who could replace Rohit Sharma as the Indian T20I captain.
#1 Hardik Pandya is the perfect candidate to take over captaincy from Rohit Sharma
Hardik Pandya is the number one candidate to become the next T20I captain of the Indian team. The star all-rounder proved himself as a top-class leader by leading the Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2022 trophy earlier this year.
Pandya also has a good record as the Indian T20I captain, having led the team to wins against Ireland and West Indies earlier this year. He has played under the leadership of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma during different stages of his career and has picked up their qualities.
The selectors have named Pandya as the captain for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand. It should not be a surprise if he is made the full-time captain in the coming days.
#2 KL Rahul
The next option available with the Indian selection committee is KL Rahul. The right-handed opener is the vice-captain of the team right now. He captained Punjab Kings in the last two IPL seasons and is currently the skipper of the Lucknow Super Giants.
Rahul has performed brilliantly with the bat when playing as a captain. His consistency levels have been top-notch, which is why he could be in the mix to become India's new T20I captain.
#3 Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant captained India in the five-match T20I series against South Africa earlier this year. He has got good leadership skills, and like Hardik Pandya, Pant has spent a lot of time with MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Considering how Pant led the Delhi Capitals to the top of the IPL points table in his first season as captain last year, the wicket-keeper batter could be a wildcard candidate to become the next skipper of the Indian T20I squad.