Virat Kohli deciding to quit the leadership has thrown a massive challenge to the BCCI as the board needs to figure out an eligible candidate to take the onus. Rohit Sharma is one of the names in the fray but batting legend Sunil Gavaskar feels that the Mumbai cricketer might not be the perfect replacement.
In a conversation with Sports Tak, the cricketer-turned-commentator pointed out the fitness issues with Rohit. Gavaskar also opined that a player who features in all formats should be crowned as captain.
“The problem with Rohit is that he has fitness issues. So, you need a player who remains fit and is available for all matches. If you remember, Sri Lanka’s Angelo Mathews had the same issue with a hamstring. And with that, when you try to run fast or take a quick single, the injury resurfaces,” Gavaskar said.
“If that is to happen, you may be forced to name someone else captain. So it’s better to pick a player who instead has external injuries. But with Rohit, this cycle of picking up regular injuries is why I am doubtful about him. This is why I feel that only a player who features in all formats should be made captain,” he added.
Gavaskar said there are times when the captain and the board officials are not on the same page but what has happened is something ‘unimaginable’.
“No board would want that its captain’s hands should be tied. Sourav Ganguly, the president was a captain himself, so he wouldn’t do anything that would trouble the Indian skipper. Sure, at times there might be a few disagreements but I cannot even imagine something like that happening in Indian cricket,” he added.
“Kohli has left a terrific impact as Test captain since taking over. He had a good team. And when you have a good team, the results will be good. Look at Clive Lloyd’s West Indies. They had four fast bowlers and brilliant batsmen. When you have a good team, winning matches become easier. Look at Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and the kind of attacks they had. No one talks about how shrewd they were,” he concluded.
