Team India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 campaign could be at risk with the skipper Rohit Sharma possibly missing out on one of the first two Tests against Australia which begins in November 2024.
Rohit reportedly has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he might skip one of the first two Tests of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to personal reasons.
“There isn’t any complete clarity about the situation. It is understood that Rohit has intimated to the BCCI that there is a possibility that due to a pressing personal matter, he might have to skip one of the two Tests at the beginning of the series,” a BCCI source told news agency PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Assuming that the Indian side is without the services of Rohit, let us take a look at some of the major candidates to lead the side in his absence.
Jasprit Bumrah
India’s lead pacer is a candidate to lead the Indian unit considering his seniority within the group. Barring Rohit and Kohli, it is Bumrah who comes next in line when it comes to importance in the squad. Bumrah as a bowler is a proven match-winner and has shown the ability to possibly become a leader just like his Australian counterpart, Pat Cummins. The 30-year-old has led the Indian Test team on one occasion in 2022 against England in Birmingham when Rohit was down with COVID-19. Perhaps the Indian team management could fall back on this option despite the side not picking up a win in Bumrah’s captaincy debut.
Shubman Gill
Following the theme of how MS Dhoni handed down the reins to Virat Kohli, the Indian team could have an opportunity to give Shubman Gill a taste of captaincy in the longest format, and possibly build him up to be Rohit’s replacement in the long run. The 25-year-old has plenty of experience as the skipper during India’s tour of Zimbabwe and also in the Duleep Trophy 2024 for India A. With the support of senior stars like Kohli, Rahul and others, it could be the perfect opportunity to take a risk which could pay off in the future.
Rishabh Pant
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter continues to show why he is an integral part of the Test setup for the coming years. With plenty of runs on the board, the Indian management could look to give Pant a go as captain to see how he steps up to the challenge. The ace gloveman has the experience of captaincy for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and also led the Indian team for a five-match series against South Africa in 2022. But it would be an interesting move to see Pant take responsibility as captain with the side looking at their long-term captaincy prospects with Rohit coming to the final stages of his career.
KL Rahul
The Indian middle-order batter is the most practical choice to lead the side in Rohit’s absence. He has been the stand-in skipper for the national side, across all three formats since 2022. So far he has captained India in three Tests where he won twice against Bangladesh in 2022 and his only loss was against South Africa at Johannesburg in the same year. Over the years he has continued to be a reliable skipper, especially in franchise cricket. With experience under his belt, Rahul could be a frontrunner to lead the Indian unit.
Virat Kohli
One option that every fan of Indian cricket would want to see is Virat Kohli leading the side once again, particularly in the longest format. During his three-year captaincy stint in Tests, India saw a major turnaround in the manner they played. An aggressive and fearless approach which rattled even the best opponents as they began their road to dominance. But ever since Kohli stepped down from his leadership role in both international and franchise cricket, Indian cricket has moved on forward, but the fans will be excited to see the icon don the captain’s hat once again, that too against the toughest of opponents, the mighty Aussies.
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