3 reasons why India appointing Rohit Sharma as captain for T20 World Cup is wrong
Indian all-format captain Rohit Sharma will lead the country in the upcoming T20 World Cup slated to be played in the USA and West Indies from June 1 with the final slated to be held in Barbados on June 29.
There had been speculations that all-rounder Hardik Pandya could take charge of the Indian T20 team, but those have been laid to rest by BCCI secretary Jay Shah's recent announcement that Rohit will lead the Men in Blue in the showpiece event.
Rohit Sharma led India in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which was his first T20I assignment since leading the nation during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. However, with Hardik struggling with fitness issues, the selection committee had to move back to Rohit.
Having said that, let us have a look at three reasons why appointing Rohit Sharma as the T20 captain is the wrong move:
# 1. Moving in a backward direction
Rohit Sharma captained India in the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India suffered a morale-shattering loss against England in the semi-final. While Rohit wasn't removed from T20 captaincy following the defeat, it was more or less certain that Hardik Pandya was set to take over the duties.
However, the injury that Pandya sustained during the 2023 ODI World Cup seems to have forced the selectors to go back to Rohit. While there is no doubt regarding Rohit's prowess in shortest format, with the team in a transition phase, it perhaps wasn't the best decision to draft him back into the T20 side.
# 2. Rohit has played just three T20I matches since the previous T20 World Cup
Following the shambolic loss against England in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final, it was speculated that Rohit and Virat Kohli will not receive further call-ups in the shortest format. Rohit didn't play a single T20I game for more than a year.
He returned for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in January. However, playing just three international matches before a World Cup isn't the ideal preparation, even for a player as experienced as Rohit.
Rohit Sharma's flamboyant approach in the ODI World Cup seems to have prompted the selection committee to recall him to the T20 set up. He scored a brilliant century in the final T20I against Afghanistan but scored a couple of ducks in the first two matches.
# 3. Rohit might have to curb his natural instincts given the new look of the T20 side
What made Rohit's contribution in the fifty-over World Cup special was his approach all throughout the tournament. He wasn't fazed by the opposition or the quality of bowlers and took charge in the powerplay.
However, with so many youngsters in the T20 team, he might need to change his role and play according to the match situation.
What Rohit brings to the table is his ability to clear boundaries at will, but if he has to curb his natural instinct, India might not end up realising his full potential as a T20 batter.