He has previous experience leading India across white-ball formats.
The new year has started with all the drama possible as Rohit Sharma opted out of the Sydney Test owning poor form to accommodate Shubman Gill in the playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah, who also led the side in the first Test, is captaining the unit as the team looks to retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
This might be the end of Rohit Sharma’s Test career, with the team looking for a transition, beginning with the change in leadership. However, a fresh report from My Khel indicates the management is looking for alternatives, even in the ODI format.
According to the report, Hardik Pandya will take over the ODI side if Rohit’s captaincy tenure comes under scrutiny or the team looks to free him from the captaincy burden. He has previous experience leading India across white-ball formats.
“Hardik has the knack for leading in high-pressure situations, and his experience as an all-rounder and leader makes him an ideal choice for an ICC tournament like the Champions Trophy,” a source told My Khel.
The report added that Shubman Gill needs more grooming before making him a leader of the ODI side. Suryakumar Yadav has yet to cement his place in the 50-over format, so Hardik is the best choice for the captaincy role.
“Gill needs more grooming to mature into a leader, and SKY’s ODI performances haven’t been convincing enough. Hardik remains the most balanced option to lead India in ODIs if Rohit is unavailable.”
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Rohit has already retired from the T20Is and looks done in the Test format. If performances don’t come in the 50-over format, another harsh decision might be taken, especially since Rohit is already on the wrong side of the 30s and won’t get young now.
Even form-wise, he has been nowhere close to his fluent best lately and has shown signs of regression, indicating his reflexes are finally getting slower and slower. The next few months will be crucial for Rohit, who must perform exceedingly well in order to keep his place in ODIs, especially after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s prominent rise in the other two formats.
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