Ranking the 3 favorites to take over from Rohit Sharma as Team India's ODI captain
Following Team India's disappointing defeat in the final of the 2023 World Cup, the futures of the side's senior members remain uncertain.
A number of players will be close to 40 by the time the next edition of the ODI World Cup rolls around. As such, the BCCI might want to prioritize the quadrennial event instead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Rohit Sharma is one such player. The Indian skipper was in rip-roaring form during the 2023 World Cup, but he is 36 years old and has dealt with a few fitness issues over the last few years.
India will certainly consider appointing a successor to Rohit, who might not be around even for the Champions Trophy two years from now. Luckily for them, there are quite a few contenders in their current setup.
Here, we attempt to rank the three favorites to take over from Rohit Sharma as Team India's ODI captain.
#3 Shreyas Iyer
Just ahead of the 2023 World Cup, it seemed like Shreyas Iyer might not even be a fixture in the Indian playing XI. But the team management's faith in the batter never wavered, and rightfully so, following the prolific 2022 season he had.
Shreyas made a real statment at the World Cup, tallying 530 runs at an average of 66.25 and a strike rate of 113.24. He finished as the seventh-highest run-getter in the tournament and played a series of crucial knocks for the Men in Blue.
Having established himself as an integral part of the middle order in ODIs, Shreyas is expected to be in the conversation when the selectors want to replace Rohit. He has shown unmatched mentality in pressure situations and clearly has a calm head on his shoulders.
Shreyas has leadership experience in domestic cricket and in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is expected to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) once again after a shoulder injury ruled him out of the 2023 campaign. He could be seen assuming greater responsibilities with the national ODI team as well.
#2 Hardik Pandya
India's vice-captain for the 2023 World Cup, Hardik Pandya seemed to be the outright favorite to replace Rohit as the country's white-ball skipper. He has led in all T20I assignments he has been available for since the 2022 T20 World Cup and has also donned the hat in the occasional ODI.
However, those plans have been curtailed by concerns over Hardik's fitness and availability, with the all-rounder suffering yet another injury midway through India's World Cup campaign. He missed the rest of the tournament, and there are serious doubts over whether he can be at the helm on a regular basis in the 50-over format.
Hardik has proven himself to be a tactically astute skipper, and needless to say, he is one of the first names on the ODI teamsheet. But with his body not holding up, it might not be an overly wise choice to hand him the reins.
#1 KL Rahul
Once Hardik was ruled out of the 2023 World Cup, KL Rahul became India's vice-captain. And he could be the frontrunner to succeed Rohit as the full-time ODI skipper.
Following a prolific run at No. 5, Rahul has established himself as arguably the best middle-order batter in the world and is slowly winning over even his biggest detractors. His glovework behind the stumps has also been impeccable, and few players are as accurate with the DRS as he is.
Rahul is another player who has led at the IPL level for a while now, even though his captaincy has often come under criticism for being tactically off the mark. He is bound to improve, though, and the calmness he brings to the table will hold him in good stead.
Although Hardik and Shreyas might be better options from a tactical standpoint, Rahul could just be the favorite to take over from Rohit, as things currently stand.