Rohit Sharma should lead India across all formats: Gautam Gambhir | Cricket News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir is of the firm view that the Indian cricket team should have one captain across formats and in his view Rohit Sharma should lead India across all formats.
Rohit took over the Twenty20 captaincy from Virat Kohli following India’s World Cup exit, and later replaced him as captain in the 50-over format as well. KL Rahul led India in the second South Africa Test after Kohli missed the match due to injury. Rahul is also leading India in the three one-day matches in South Africa after Rohit failed to recover from an injury.
In his column for the Times of India, Gambhir wrote, “In my book Rohit Sharma should lead India across all formats with Rahul as his deputy. One captain across formats will ensure consistency in style and approach of the Indian team especially considering that we have another T20 World Cup later this year.”
On Saturday, Kohli stepped down as India captain following the team’s 1-2 series loss in South Africa. With 40 wins and 17 losses in 68 Tests as captain, Kohli is India’s most successful Test leader.
“Between the last Test and ODI series, the news space has been hogged by Virat resigning from Test captaincy. I think it is an individual’s call and that is how it should be treated. I think Virat left the Indian Test team is good health but I can’t say the same about white-ball cricket. Our bowling resources in Test matches are a neighbour’s envy and owner’s pride. They have showed time and again that they are the engine room for a team’s performance. In limited overs cricket, I’d have liked to see a more settled middle-order, which Virat could not create,” Gambhir added.
On the ODI series starting on Wednesday, Gambhir hoped that opener Shikhar Dhawan is not left out from the India playing XI.
“Shikhar Dhawan is a sensation on social media. He has close to 10 million followers on Instagram alone, which is almost ten times more than the population of Gurugram where he now lives. I’d recommend that there is something for everyone on his Insta handle. There are fitness videos, dancing videos with his mother, dubsmash videos and there is also a video where Shikhar is playing the flute with perhaps his Guru,” Gambhir observed.
Not in the scheme of things in any other format, this series may be the last chance for Dhawan to salvage his ODI career.
“Trust me, it’s an absolute delight, all notes are in proper place just like a perfectly struck left-hander’s cover drive with the bat finishing on his right shoulder. How good it will be to see him translate his social media form on the playing field. It is a grand opportunity for him in South Africa. I am not a great believer in age and all that. His critics are saying that at 36, Indian cricket should look beyond Shikhar. My worry is lack of runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I hope he can put it all behind him and put his best foot forward. There is a school of thought that Shikhar should not be played in the final eleven. I think that will be a disaster. Why would you take Shikhar to South Africa and then leave him on the bench? It will make no sense at all,” Gambhir opined.
Calling for the inclusion of both Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing XI, Gambhir wrote that he would be looking forward to the performance of Prasidh Krishna on the bouncy pitches of South Africa in the ODI series.
“After KL Rahul, Shikhar and Virat Kohli, India should continue to play Surya Kumar Yadav at No. 4, Shreyas Iyer at No. 5, Rishabh Pant at 6. I am extremely inclined to use the experience of R Ashwin in my bowling department with Chahal being the other spinner. Fast bowling duties need to be performed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah. I’d be keen to see how Prasidh goes on the bouncy tracks of South Africa. He has conditions in his favour, let’s see if he can translate promise into performance,” Gambhir signed off.
Rohit took over the Twenty20 captaincy from Virat Kohli following India’s World Cup exit, and later replaced him as captain in the 50-over format as well. KL Rahul led India in the second South Africa Test after Kohli missed the match due to injury. Rahul is also leading India in the three one-day matches in South Africa after Rohit failed to recover from an injury.
In his column for the Times of India, Gambhir wrote, “In my book Rohit Sharma should lead India across all formats with Rahul as his deputy. One captain across formats will ensure consistency in style and approach of the Indian team especially considering that we have another T20 World Cup later this year.”
On Saturday, Kohli stepped down as India captain following the team’s 1-2 series loss in South Africa. With 40 wins and 17 losses in 68 Tests as captain, Kohli is India’s most successful Test leader.
“Between the last Test and ODI series, the news space has been hogged by Virat resigning from Test captaincy. I think it is an individual’s call and that is how it should be treated. I think Virat left the Indian Test team is good health but I can’t say the same about white-ball cricket. Our bowling resources in Test matches are a neighbour’s envy and owner’s pride. They have showed time and again that they are the engine room for a team’s performance. In limited overs cricket, I’d have liked to see a more settled middle-order, which Virat could not create,” Gambhir added.
On the ODI series starting on Wednesday, Gambhir hoped that opener Shikhar Dhawan is not left out from the India playing XI.
“Shikhar Dhawan is a sensation on social media. He has close to 10 million followers on Instagram alone, which is almost ten times more than the population of Gurugram where he now lives. I’d recommend that there is something for everyone on his Insta handle. There are fitness videos, dancing videos with his mother, dubsmash videos and there is also a video where Shikhar is playing the flute with perhaps his Guru,” Gambhir observed.
Not in the scheme of things in any other format, this series may be the last chance for Dhawan to salvage his ODI career.
“Trust me, it’s an absolute delight, all notes are in proper place just like a perfectly struck left-hander’s cover drive with the bat finishing on his right shoulder. How good it will be to see him translate his social media form on the playing field. It is a grand opportunity for him in South Africa. I am not a great believer in age and all that. His critics are saying that at 36, Indian cricket should look beyond Shikhar. My worry is lack of runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. I hope he can put it all behind him and put his best foot forward. There is a school of thought that Shikhar should not be played in the final eleven. I think that will be a disaster. Why would you take Shikhar to South Africa and then leave him on the bench? It will make no sense at all,” Gambhir opined.
Calling for the inclusion of both Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the playing XI, Gambhir wrote that he would be looking forward to the performance of Prasidh Krishna on the bouncy pitches of South Africa in the ODI series.
“After KL Rahul, Shikhar and Virat Kohli, India should continue to play Surya Kumar Yadav at No. 4, Shreyas Iyer at No. 5, Rishabh Pant at 6. I am extremely inclined to use the experience of R Ashwin in my bowling department with Chahal being the other spinner. Fast bowling duties need to be performed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna and Jasprit Bumrah. I’d be keen to see how Prasidh goes on the bouncy tracks of South Africa. He has conditions in his favour, let’s see if he can translate promise into performance,” Gambhir signed off.
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