Rohit Sharma’s real challenge as a captain is to stay fit and play everything till World Cup: Ajit Agarkar

Former pacer Ajit Agarkar believes that the biggest challenge for India’s limited-overs skipper Rohit Sharma is to remain fit and play every tournament ahead of the T20 and ODI World Cup scheduled over the next 24 months.

Rohit had missed the series against South Africa due to a hamstring issue but he has now recovered and would be leading the side in the upcoming white-ball series against West Indies. Rohit was appointed India’s full-time limited-overs skipper after Virat Kohli stepped down as captain of T20Is and was removed from the leadership role in ODIs.

“I think it’s a good thing and the right thing to do – to have one captain for the white-ball format and now Rohit actually can fly,” Agarkar said on Star Sports.

“So, the challenge for Rohit Sharma in my opinion – is to stay fit and play everything that is there, from now to the World Cup in white-ball cricket, because you want the captain that was one of Virat Kohli’s strengths or MS Dhoni before that, they rarely missed games, and both were very fit,” Agarkar said.

Rohit had missed the Test series against South Africa due to a left hamstring injury. He was subsequently also forced to skip the ODIs against the Proteas as he couldn’t attain full fitness before the selection committee announced the team.

The hamstring has been a recurrent problem which also forced him to miss the first two Test matches as well as the white-ball leg of the tour of Australia in 2020-21. However, Rohit is back in-charge for the series against West Indies that starts with ODIs in Ahmedabad from February 6.

India will play West Indies in a three-match ODI series at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad from February 6, followed by the T20I series at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata from February 16.