T20 World Cup 2022: "The Indian team need a leader after Ganguly and Dhoni" - Shahid Afridi unimpressed with Rohit Sharma's captaincy after India's semifinal exit

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi highlighted the deficiencies in Rohit Sharma's captaincy following India's semifinal exit from the T20 World Cup on Thursday. The retired player feels India need strong leaders like Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni and that the BCCI needs to work hard moving forward.

Rohit Sharma's men succumbed to a ten-wicket loss against England, who chased down a 169-run target with four overs and all ten wickets to spare. Sharma struggled for runs throughout the competition, managing only one half-century in six games. His post-match assessment of the bowlers not coming to the party also attracted significant criticism.

#TeamIndia put up a fight but it was England who won the match.

We had a solid run till the semifinal & enjoyed a solid support from the fans.

Scorecard ▶️ bit.ly/INDvENG-SF2-T2…

#T20WorldCup | #INDvENG https://t.co/5qPAiu8LcL

Speaking to SAMAA TV (as quoted by Hindustan Times), Afridi reflected that players like Ganguly and Dhoni lead from the front as captains, unlike Kohli and Rohit. The former player feels such issues should no longer stay under the carpet.

"These things will now be noticed, when you win these things are brushed under the carpet. Today India lost, and everyone's reflecting on the loss. But if we look closely, the Indian team need a leader after Ganguly and Dhoni. Someone, who leads the team from the front. After Dhoni, they tried Virat, but they didn't achieve outstanding results. Right now, Rohit is the captain, and we still don't see any commendable performances."

India's ten-wicket defeat, thanks to explosive knocks by England openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales, meant they have now lost five World Cup knockout games since 2015. The Men in Blue have not won an ICC trophy since 2013.

"If you don't go out and win big tournaments, then it is a sign of worry" - Shahid Afridi

Indian cricket team (Image Credits: Getty)

Afridi also noted that the IPL has hardly made any difference despite its massive popularity, as India are failing to build a side capable of winning ICC events. He said:

"A leader's role is extremely important, their performances are very crucial. IPL is played for over two months, a lot of players get opportunity and despite that if India are failing to build a team, then in my opinion, they have a lot of work to do."

Regarding the BCCI's role, he continued:

"The board needs to think, where are we making mistake, because they've invested a lot of money in cricket and a lot of players have also emerged. If you don't go out and win big tournaments, then it is a sign of worry."

India are still playing very conservative cricket. It was an issue they hoped to address and, in all fairness did, in bilateral cricket. But here at the World Cup, India were constantly hoping the back 10 overs would bail them out. Today, it wasn't enough

Meanwhile, England and Pakistan will lock horns in the final at the MCG on Sunday.