/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24016885/STK093_Google_04.jpg)
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24808816/Starfield__The_Settled_Systems___Supra_Et_Ultra_____Starfield__The_Settled_Systems___Supra_Et_Ultra_2023_7_25_94252.263_1440p_streamshot.png)
Indian Test captain Rohit Sharma is facing flak from critics and fans after the national team failed to win yet another ICC final. Australia won their first ICC World Test Championship 2023 final by defeating India a few days back. Since 2013, India has failed to win a single ICC tournament. In 2013, under the leadership of MS Dhoni, India won the ICC Champions Trophy in England. But since then there has been a drought of trophies. This is despite the fact that India have made it to several finals – ICC Champions Trophy 2017, WTC 2021 Final, WTC 2023 Final.
Read this also | Team India schedule for ICC World Test Championship cycle 2023-25
After the loss in the WTC 2023 final, reports of Rohit Sharma being sacked or giving up the Test captaincy are doing the rounds on social media. There are rumors that Rohit himself did not want to take up the captaincy role after Virat Kohli decided to step down almost two years ago. However, these are just rumors and none of the BCCI officials have supported the statement.
Rohit Sharma can be removed from the post of Test captain after the West Indies tour. Gill, Rahul and Pant in race to lead India for next WTC cycle. #crickettwitter pic.twitter.com/L088iYIZaZ
– Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) June 13, 2023
Rohit Sharma can be removed from the post of Test captain after the West Indies tour. Rahul in race to lead India for next WTC cycle. pic.twitter.com/eS3roCWpzQ— KL Biswa (@KLBiswa) June 13, 2023
So will Rohit Sharma give up the captaincy?
So far, Rohit Sharma has neither been sacked nor shown any desire to quit as the Test captain of Team India after the loss in the WTC 2023 final. The fact is that India will play only 2 Tests in the West Indies till December this year. Hence, the selectors would not like to make such a big call so soon. However, according to a report in Press Trust of India (PTI), the selectors will be watching how Rohit performs with the bat in the overseas Tests in the West Indies. As per this report, Rohit Sharma will lead India in the two-match series in the Caribbean. The selectors will appoint a new captain for that series only if Rohit decides to sit out.
Read this also | Virat Kohli to Cheteshwar Pujara: Batsmen with the lowest averages in Tests since 2022, in PICS
“These are baseless talks that Rohit will be dropped from the captaincy. Yes, will he survive the full two-year WTC cycle is a big question as he will be around 38 when the third edition ends in 2025,” BCCI’s said a senior source. The information was told to PTI on the conditions of anonymity.
BCCI sources also said that Rohit was not keen on taking up the captaincy role in Test matches, but took up the role only after the then BCCI President Sourav Ganguly insisted. Rohit was not interested in Test captaincy as he did not know how his body would handle captaincy across formats.
“Two top people at that time (former president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah) had to persuade him to take up the role after KL Rahul failed to impress as captain in South Africa,” the source said.
Rohit’s poor return with the bat
The selectors are probably looking to see how Rohit performs vs West Indies as he hasn’t done well in whites since taking over the captaincy. Rohit took over the Test captaincy in 2022. India have played 10 Tests since then and have missed three of them – one in England due to Covid-19 and two in Bangladesh due to split webbing. In 7 Tests, Rohit scored just 390 runs at an average of 35.70 with one century and no fifties.
