Rohit Sharma at 34 has a better stake in the Captaincy than any other player in the team. There. I said it. Rohit Sharma is undoubtedly the top performer in recent Indian cricket history. He has established himself as a key performer not just with the bat but also as a part of the leadership group. Perhaps now is the best time for him to get the chance to stamp his authority on the team.
Here are 5 reasons Rohit is better placed to be the Test Captain.
Proven Performance
While his IPL record is obviously something people will point to, having been the most successful IPL Captain in history with 5 titles it becomes important to see how Rohit would lead the test side. Arguably a smooth and calm operator under pressure. He at least deserves the chance to prove himself as a Test Captain.
Promoting Youth
The Indian team right now is full of players that have peaked or are going to peak in the near future and it is important that the next captain we get will also be ne conducive to youth. Even so, Rohit has clearly displayed his affliction with promoting younger talent with the likes of Surykumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan, and Rahul Chahar flourishing under his captaincy
Key Leadership Instinct
Rohit has long worked under the tutelage and learned from the best in the business having spent time with Gary Kirsten, Duncan Fletcher, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, John Wright, and most recently Mahela Jayawardane. This has clearly honed his leadership skills to a degree and will keep India in good stead going forward.
Bridge between generations
A team with a Philosophy as strong as Virat Kohli has been able to impose in terms of identity on the Indian team will require careful phasing if it is to be passed down to the future generation as well. And who better to carry this torch forward than one of the stalwarts of the game who has been a part of building this philosophy right from the beginning.
Change of Pace
The last 7 years of Virat Kohli’s captaincy have seen India take a never-say-die and aggressive attitude on the field but perhaps it is now time to see what other philosophies hold water in the terms of the team flourishing and doing well. Perhaps a calm and collected persona is the need of hour for a team bound to be left in turmoil at the loss of a key leadership role.
While undoubtedly one of India’s most influential captains, Virat Kohli leaves behind a legacy of a lot of un-kept promises in terms of trophy cabinet even if he has shown how a change in attitude can change the swing of a team. Perhaps the need of the hour is a Rohit Sharma who unassumingly without much talk calmly goes about his business and achieves what he has set out to do without being excessively vocal about it.
