Ex-BCCI President Sourav Ganguly Foresees Rohit Sharma Leading India Until T20 World Cup 2024

Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain, emphasized that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should continue as crucial members of India’s T20I team, contingent on their willingness to play. He advocated for Sharma’s leadership across all cricket formats once he’s available for selection. This stance follows the recent debate about Sharma’s captaincy, particularly in T20Is, sparked by India’s loss in the ODI World Cup final. Despite not playing any T20I for over a year, reports suggest Sharma will likely lead in the upcoming T20 World Cup in June.

In Sharma’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul will captain the T20Is and ODIs, respectively, in the South Africa tour. Following these matches, India will resume their campaign in the World Test Championship with a two-match series.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah are set to return for the Test series, with Sharma as captain. Ganguly highlighted their importance in the team, referencing their performance in the World Cup. Both Sharma and Kohli have not played a T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinals against England. Post-World Cup, Hardik Pandya was named T20 captain but was replaced by Yadav due to an injury.

Ganguly acknowledged the unique pressures of World Cups compared to bilateral series and praised the players’ recent performances, expressing his expectation that Sharma will continue as captain until the T20 World Cup in 2024.

Addressing the break taken by Rohit and Kohli from limited-overs matches on the South Africa tour, Ganguly endorsed the decision, especially after their efforts in the ODI World Cup. He recognized the challenges of transitioning from a high-stakes World Cup to another series in a short span. Ganguly expressed his satisfaction with the break, anticipating the players’ refreshed return for upcoming Tests, IPL, and the T20 World Cup.