- Sunday, April 28, 2024
The explosive opening batter, who have led India to knockouts in world championships in all three formats, will be almost 40 when the next ODI World Cup is due — in 2027.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN cricket might witness a major transition in the days to come following the debacle in the final of the just concluded 50-over World Cup. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will hold a meeting with Rohit Sharma, India’s current full-time captain in all three formats, to define the course in the near future.
It has also been reported that Sharma conveyed to the selectors headed by former India cricketer Ajit Agarkar his decision to skip T20 matches. The 36-year-old is officially still the full-time captain of the Indian T20 side but has not played a match in the shortest format since India’s humiliating 10-wicket defeat against England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Australia last year.
India also picked Suryakumar Yadav for the five-match T20 series against the Kangaroos starting at home on Thursday (23).
The Indian selectors might go for a complete overhaul in the team for the shortest format, particularly with the next T20 World Cup coming up in seven months’ time. The likes of Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan are expected to play a bigger role from this point onwards as veterans such as Sharma and Virat Kohli pave the way for the next generation.
Sharma took over the reins of captaincy in all three formats from Kohli in 2021 (T20s and one-day internationals) and Tests (2022) and led India to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup and finals of the Test championship and 50-over World Cup but fell in the knockouts.
It is also highly unlikely that Sharma will be an automatic choice when India pick their team for the next 50-over World Cup which will be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in 2027 as he will be almost 40 then. However, for the selectors, it will be easier said than done to find a replacement for Sharma fast — both as a hard-hitting opening batter and an experienced captain.
There is also not much time left for them to find an answer as the Champions Trophy, the next big event in 50-over cricket, is due in Pakistan in 2025.
India have tried a number of other players as captains such as Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah in the past several months but are yet to find a long-term answer in any of them.
