A fit-again Rohit Sharma is set to lead India in their upcoming home ODI and T20I series against West Indies. The seasoned opener, who recently took over the mantle of white-ball captaincy from Virat Kohli, missed the series in South Africa due to a hamstring injury.
India may have discovered Rohit as an appropriate choice for leadership in limited-overs cricket, but the board is yet to name the Test skipper after Virat Kohli’s sudden exit from charge. Speculation has been rife over Kohli’s successor in the leadership role and a few names have been thrown into the mix, with Rohit being the front-runner for the position.
But former national selector Saba Karim believes Rohit’s appointment as captain in all three formats will be a short-term arrangement, taking into account the upcoming two World Cups and the ongoing cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).
“Even if Rohit Sharma is appointed captain in all three formats, it will be a short-term assignment. 2023 is a very important year for Indian cricket. We have the 50-over World Cup and the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle will also end. They need to look at this phase first,” Karim explained on the Khelneeti podcast.
The former India wicketkeeper also pointed out that the team management needs to groom the next captaincy pick, who can be Rohit’s successor. “They need to groom someone who plays all three formats. Right now, Rohit is the only option because no one like a KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant has been groomed,” he further said.
Rohit has already proved his captaincy prowess while leading India and Mumbai Indians but Karim believes the 34-year-old opener’s fitness can be a roadblock to his captaincy expedition. Rohit missed the entire South Africa tour after he sustained a left hamstring injury during a training session.
“He has earned that respect from his performances. His presence and work ethic is commanding. The England Test series was a challenge for Rohit but he conquered that as well. Keeping all this aside, the biggest challenge for Rohit is whether he is fit.
“Leaving alone leading, even playing all three formats is a huge task for him. He has been injured multiple times and even now he is returning from rehab. The physio, trainers and everyone involved with his fitness needs to be consulted before making such a big decision. We cannot have a captain who gets injured at the start of a Test series,” Karim further added.
India, led by Rohit, will play three ODIs against West Indies in Ahmedabad from February 6, followed by the T20I series in Kolkata from February 16.
