Ravichandran Ashwin believes that with both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring from Test cricket, there will be a major leadership gap in the team.
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin believes that with both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring from Test cricket, there will be a major leadership gap in the team. Kohli announced his decision just a few days after Rohit stepped away from the format, which now puts pressure on the selectors to name a new captain.
Speaking on his YouTube show, Ash ki baat, Ashwin said he was surprised to see both of them retire at the same time. He described this as a crucial period for Indian cricket and even called it the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era. He pointed out that the team going to England will look completely different, and Jasprit Bumrah may end up being the most experienced player in the squad. Ashwin added that Bumrah is one of the captaincy options and deserves the role, but the selectors will decide based on how much cricket his body can handle.
“I didn’t have an idea both [Rohit and Kohli] would retire together,” Ashwin said on his Youtube show ‘Ash Ki Baat’. “This will a testing time for Indian cricket, and I’ll say this is truly now the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era.
“The team that will tour England will be a completely new team, a transformed team where Bumrah will probably be the senior-most player. He is obviously one of the captaincy options; I think he deserves the captaincy, but the selectors will take a decision based on his physical capacity,” he added.
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Ashwin also said that Kohli’s energy and Rohit’s calm nature will be missed, especially in big overseas tours like the one coming up. He explained that experience cannot be replaced easily, and losing both leaders at once is a big challenge.
“Their retirements will definitely create a leadership vacuum. You can’t buy experience, especially on tours like this. Virat’s energy and Rohit’s composure will be missed, ” Ashwin further said.
Shubman Gill is being seen as a top candidate for the captain’s role, although Bumrah has led India before in matches like the Perth Test and the fifth Test in Sydney. The main concern with making Bumrah the full-time captain is managing his workload.
He had back issues during the Sydney Test and missed some key matches afterward, including the Champions Trophy and the early part of the IPL season. This might affect whether or not he is chosen to lead the team.
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