Rohit Sharma: A capable leader for India’s trophy hunt in ODIs
On 8th December 2021, BCCI announced India’s squad for South Africa Test series. The last line of this major statement read “The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI & T20I teams going forward.” And that is all we know.
Virat Kohli, India’s regular ODI captain since 2017, was removed from his post with that one line. While we await official explanations from the concerned parties, it is clear that the board believes a better captain than Kohli exists. And it has wasted no time completing the crowning of that better captain – Rohit Sharma.
The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI & T20I teams going forward.#TeamIndia | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/hcg92sPtCa
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 8, 2021
A proven leader
Rohit Sharma has been India’s go-to leadership option whenever Kohli has decided to rest in the limited-overs matches. That the Mumbai batsman has led his franchise to five IPL titles, more than any other IPL team, is a well-known fact. Post India’s debacle at the T20 World Cup 2021, the Hitman had taken over the T20I reigns and began with a 3-0 victory against New Zealand.
The 50-over format is a different beast but Rohit knows a thing or two about leading India in ODIs. His first audition as India’s ODI captain was in 2017 when Sri Lanka toured India for three 50-over encounters. India lost the first match but bounced back with two comprehensive victories to secure the series.
Next year, India won the 2018 Asia Cup under Rohit’s leadership. The champion side won all their matches in the multi-nation tournament except the tied encounter against Afghanistan. In 2019, the opening batsman led his side in two ODIs in New Zealand and returned with a win and a loss each.
Spectacular with the bat
Rohit’s record with the bat as India’s ODI captain is one to marvel. In 10 innings, he has mustered 543 runs at an average of 77.57. His batting average as an ODI captain is the best in the history of the format with a qualification of a minimum of 10 ODIs. One of his ODI double tons came while leading the side. He also struck a century against Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
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The 2023 ODI World Cup will be held in India. While Virat Kohli’s team was two steps away from winning the World Cup, Rohit will be hoping to go all the way and lift the coveted trophy. With him taking over the reins in white-ball cricket, India will expect consistency in selections in both formats. At the age of 34, Rohit has an excellent opportunity to carve his legacy as a trophy-winning captain in international cricket.
