"It'll be a shame if he doesn't get India's white-ball or T20 captaincy" - When Gautam Gambhir backed star batter for leadership role
Rohit Sharma took over as Team India's all-format captain from Virat Kohli after the latter's stint as leader at the international level ended. Under the 'Hitman', India reached the final of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) and the 2023 ODI World Cup final, going down to Australia on both occasions.
It was under Rohit's leadership that India eventually ended their 11-year-long ICC drought, winning the 2024 T20 World Cup held in the West Indies and the United States. The 37-year-old led from the front as the Men in Blue remained unbeaten in the prestigious ICC event.
Before taking over the reins of the Indian team, Rohit proved himself in franchise cricket by guiding Mumbai Indians (MI) to five IPL titles. Speaking after MI's fifth title win in 2020, former India batter and current head coach opined that it would be a shame and misfortune if Rohit doesn't become India's white-ball leader. Gambhir said on ESPNcricinfo's T20 Time Out:
"If Rohit Sharma doesn't become India's captain, it's their loss, not Rohit's. Yes, a captain is only as good as his team and I completely agree with that, but what are the parameters to judge a captain on who is good and who isn't? The parameters and benchmark should be the same. Rohit has led his team to five IPL titles."
Comparing Rohit's leadership stats in the IPL with that of MS Dhoni, Gambhir pointed out that the former was the most successful captain in the Indian T20 league. The former left-handed batter had said:
"We keep saying MS Dhoni is India's most successful captain. Why? Because he has won two World Cups and three IPLs. Rohit has won five IPL titles, he is the most successful captain in the history of the tournament. Going forward, it'll be a shame if he doesn't get India's white-ball or just T20 captaincy. Because he can't do much more than this.
"He can only help the team he captains to victories. So if he doesn't become India's regular white-ball captain, it will be their loss," Gambhir had added.
Dhoni and Rohit are now the joint-most successful captains in the history of the IPL, with five title triumphs each. The former led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to victory in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
Rohit Sharma's record as captain in the IPL
Rohit led Mumbai Indians in 158 matches in the IPL, winning 87 and losing 67. Four other matches ended in a tie. He was captain of the MI franchise from 2013 to 2023 before being replaced by Hardik Pandya. As for Dhoni, he led CSK in 226 matches, winning 133 and losing 91, while two games produced no result.