Players who can replace Rohit Sharma as India’s T20I captain after T20 World Cup 2022: Team India’s World Cup trophy draught continued as they have been hammered out of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 by England in the second semi-final. Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper failed to deliver on the big stage once again and now his captaincy has come under the scanner as people have started calling for a change of the individual at the helm.
Rohit Sharma was appointed India’s skipper in the T20Is following Virat Kohli’s quit after the team’s quick exit from the T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. Sharma, who has won five IPL trophies, was highly anticipated to fetch the World Cup glory and end India’s trophy draught in the ongoing season of the T20 World Cup. However, things went pretty ugly once again for India, as the Men in Blue slipped out of its way in the most-important knockout match, following the horrifying script of the past.
Not to forget, Sharma was fantastic during the bilateral assignments. His new aggressive approach in the powerplay got him fruitful results throughout his tenure. Looking at India’s performance in the bilaterals, the expectations were huge. But, India’s performance in the multi-nation tournament remained the same. Despite showcasing an exhilarating performance in the group stages, team India fell apart in the semi-finals and made their exit from the tournament.
The Indian captain may now choose to focus on ODI and Test formats as the next T20 World Cup is in 2024. Age will play a huge factor here. Rohit Sharma will be 37 by the time of the next T20 World Cup.
To have a smooth transition in the Indian dressing room, the selectors will likely appoint a new T20I captain in the coming few months. This article will lead you through Players who can replace Rohit Sharma as India’s T20I captain after T20 World Cup 2022.
Players who can replace Rohit Sharma as India’s T20I captain:
Hardik Pandya:
Senior all-rounder Hardik Pandya is the best candidate for the captaincy role after Rohit Sharma decides to call it quits from the T20Is. Having successfully led an IPL franchise in IPL 2022, Pandya will certainly be at the top of the chart.
In his maiden stint as the captain, Hardik led Gujarat Titans to the IPL trophy, which speaks volumes of his brilliance. Moreover, he has taken team India to a couple of T20I series victories against Ireland and Zimbabwe, earlier this year.
What sets Hardik Pandya aside is his never giving up attitude and his adopted cool and composed nature in pressure situations. He has nitpicked qualities of being a good leader after playing under the likes of MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Notably, he has been named India’s captain for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand, which starts on November 18.
KL Rahul:
The selectors and Indian management have invested highly in the services of opener KL Rahul. Even though the batter has failed to deliver a lot of times, his skills are second to none in the format when he gets going.
At present, he is the vice-captain of the Indian side, which makes him a probable candidate to feature in the list of possible captaincy replacements. Rahul also has rich leadership experience, having led Punjab Kings in the past and Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2022.
Even though his failures have been reflected more than his successes, Rahul has been a top-class player when he has been given some responsibility. His IPL seasons as the captain portrays a better picture of that.
Rishabh Pant:
Rishabh Pant’s leadership qualities came into the limelight after he led Delhi Capitals (DC) following an injury to then-skipper Shreyas Iyer. Pant, though, had his rough moments, but he managed to take his side to the playoffs.
In the very next season of the IPL, he was backed by the coach Ricky Ponting and he permanently replaced Shreyas Iyer at the helm. Although his team (Delhi Capitals) didn’t do well in the IPL 2022, his leadership was still a talking point for many experts.
Pant has also led India in the five-match T20I series against South Africa, which ended in a draw (2-2). The glovesman did well to bring back his side to winning ways after two early defeats.
Certainly, looking at the years ahead of him, Rishabh Pant will pose as a serious candidate to replace Rohit Sharma in the T20I captaincy.