"Rohit Sharma is probably next in line, Rishabh Pant not yet" - Kevin Pietersen on India's next Test captain
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen has backed Rohit Sharma to captain India across formats once he returns from an injury break.
Rohit was named white-ball captain last month while Kohli was to continue leading in the longest format. However, Kohli stood down after the Test series defeat in South Africa last week.
Kevin Pietersen (in India Today) said "Rohit Sharma is a great leader - I love the authority he commands - he makes fabulous decisions and seen with Mumbai Indians - he has won titles in IPL".
In a group interaction on the sidelines of Legends League Cricket, Pietersen said:
“I've always loved 'Hitman' Rohit Sharma. He's a fabulous player, every time he's batting I've got to watch. His captaincy is great for the Mumbai Indians too. So he's probably next in line.”
He said Rishabh Pant’s time as skipper will come.
“You are spoilt for choice... But Pant not yet, maybe one day... But when you have got Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul you have got some mighty cricketers."
Team India is in a transitional phase. The coaching staff changed last November. Pietersen backed head coach Rahul Dravid to drive India through it, saying:
“I love Rahul Dravid. I'm looking forward to his progress with the national side. He has done wonders for the youngsters. So I'm looking forward to seeing him progress with the senior players."
"It's very difficult for Kohli to perform to the best of his abilities in the bubble" – Kevin Pietersen
Pietersen felt bio-bubble fatigue could be one of the reasons behind Kohli's decision to quit as Test captain.
"People who are critical of the modern-day sportsmen I think are foolish because these bio-bubbles are very hard to play in," he said.
He further explained:
“It will be very unfair to be too harsh, to be critical. Because you have not looked at Virat Kohli. Kohli needs crowds, he gets going [due to it]. He is an entertainer. I think it's very difficult for his personality to perform to the best of his abilities [in the bubble]."
Kohli is India's most successful Test captain.
“I'm actually not surprised that Virat wants just a little bit of a break from that extra pressure because it's damn difficult playing in these bubbles," Pietersen stated.
Pietersen also went on to say that he himself would not have performed well in the absence of crowds in the stadiums:
“As a batter, I feed on the energy of fans, and there are a lot of these players, be it in football, rugby or tennis.”