Gautam Gambhir feels that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should be picked for T20I matches going forward and wants the former to captain India during next year’s World Cup.
Reports have suggested that Rohit appears to be steering his career away from T20Is. Reports as of November 22, suggest that the Indian skipper is unlikely to continue playing in the shortest format of the game. This strategic decision seems to be influenced by the demanding schedule of playing across all formats, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), and the upcoming seven Test matches scheduled between December 2023 and March 2024.
Sharma’s focus is shifting predominantly towards red-ball cricket, with an eye on leading India to another World Test Championship final in 2025. His form in traditional cricket has been commendable since he took up the role of an opener for India in 2019.
Both Kohli and Rohit were sensational during the World Cup 2023 campaign for India and finished in the No.1 and No.2 spots respectively for the highest run-getters in the tournament.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, Gambhir said that he wants both men to be picked for T20Is and wants to see Rohit captain the side during next year’s World Cup. The former Indian opener said that Rohit should be selected as the captain and not just a batter.
Gambhir also feels that Kohli should be an automatic choice in the side.
“They both need to get picked, both should be picked. More importantly, I want to see Rohit Sharma as captain in the T20 World Cup. Yes, Hardik has been captaining in T20Is but I would still want to see Rohit as captain in the World Cup. Don’t pick Rohit Sharma only as a batter,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda.
“Rohit is a phenomenal leader, he has proved that with his leadership and batting in this ODI World Cup. If you are picking Rohit, which you should then he should be selected as a captain who can bat. And Virat also should be an automatic choice,” he added.
