When Rohit Sharma became India’s captain, his goal was to win the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022 and the 50-over World Cup in 2023. However, a year later, his results have been limited to victories in bilateral series. India’s performance in the recent ICC tournaments, such as the Asia Cup and World Cup, has been disappointing. Factors such as poor team selections, injuries to key players, and a lack of strategy may have contributed to India’s underwhelming results, but the fact remains that the team has not won an ICC trophy since 2013.
The past is behind us and a new year brings new opportunities. Rohit Sharma has the chance to redeem himself by leading India to victory in the World Cup later this year. However, the question of who will take over as captain after Rohit is uncertain. Rohit will be 36 by the end of the World Cup and it’s likely that he will retire from limited-overs cricket, passing the baton to the next generation. Hardik Pandya, who has recently taken over as captain of the T20I team, is considered a strong candidate to replace Rohit as India’s white-ball captain. According to a recent source, the process of selecting the next captain may already be underway.
“We must plan for the future and not just wait for things to happen. Rohit Sharma is currently the captain for the World Cup, but in case he chooses to step down from the ODI format or captaincy post the 2023 World Cup, we must have a plan in place,” says a senior board official.
Hardik Pandya has had a successful start to his captaincy career, leading Gujarat Titans to an IPL win and India to series victories in Ireland, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka. Under his leadership, India has lost only twice. With a new generation of players emerging, Pandya is the ideal choice to lead the team into the next era, allowing Rohit to focus on his Test career.
“Hardik is performing well as captain. He is young and has potential to improve. Currently, there is no better candidate to consider as captain after Rohit. He should be supported and given a long-term opportunity,” the official stated.