Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has backed Rohit Sharma to lead India in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Rohit last played in the T20I format in the semifinal of the 2022 T20 World Cup and the selectors haven’t picked him in the T20I team, raising doubts about his future in the format.
Since then, Hardik Pandya has been leading the team in the shortest format of the game. Recently it has been reported that Rohit Sharma might not play T20Is anymore, according to a report by PTI. But now it has been reported that BCCI is likely to approach Rohit Sharma to lead in the three-match T20I series against South Africa.
Rohit has amassed 3853 runs in 148 T20I matches at an average of 30.82 and thus brings all the experience to the table. The talisman scored 597 runs in 11 matches of the World Cup 2023 at an average of 54.27 and a blistering strike rate of 125.95. The talisman scored three fifties and one century in the ODI showpiece.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “He (Rohit) might go as the captain and I feel he will go now. When you have kept Rahul based on continuity, how will you ask Rohit Sharma to go somewhere else? According to me, Rohit is going to be the captain in the T20 World Cup as well.”
The renowned commentator expects Rohit to be among the runs in IPL 2024 and wants Virat Kohli to bat at one down in the T20 World Cup.
“If he is in slightly good form in the IPL, which I feel will be the case this time, he will play with a little freedom, Rohit Sharma will be our captain. You will see Virat Kohli only playing at No. 3.”
Chopra believes India will have a new opening partner with Rohit Sharma and the core of the team will be the same, that played in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
“You might see a different opening partner for Rohit Sharma, but I don’t who that will be. Your core is not going to change. You will see an almost identical squad that played in the 2022 T20 World Cup. It will play in 2024 as well.”
The former Delhi player said the selectors will back the senior players in the team for the T20I showpiece because of their experience.
“How they will play is a big issue but I don’t think a lot of things are going to change because the indications are in front of us that they don’t want to change. That is the recency bias. You played a good World Cup and Asia Cup.”
After their heartbreaking loss in the final, India is taking on Australia in the five-match series. The fourth T20I between India and Australia will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur on Friday.
