When Rohit Sharma took over as the all-format captain of Team India, there were high expectations for the talented opener. While he has enjoyed success as captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Mumbai Indians (MI), Rohit has faced challenges in replicating that leadership approach internationally.
Recent defeats in the ICC T20 World Cup semi-final against England and the World Test Championship final against Australia have raised questions about his captaincy. However, former Australian captain Michael Clarke believes Rohit deserves continued faith and highlights his success as a leader and contributions as a premier batter.
Under Rohit’s captaincy, India faced a heartbreaking loss to England in the semi-finals of the ICC T20 World Cup. Additionally, they were outplayed by Australia in the final of the World Test Championship, suffering a significant defeat. These losses extended India’s trophyless run in ICC events, with their last victory occurring in 2013 under the leadership of MS Dhoni. As India grooms candidates for the captaincy role, Rohit’s future as captain will depend on the team’s performance at the upcoming 2023 World Cup.
Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke has urged the Indian think-tank to keep faith in Rohit as the captain. Clarke praises Rohit’s aggressive and positive approach, citing his success as a leader in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians. He emphasizes that India’s qualification for consecutive ICC event finals demonstrates their consistent performance over the past four years and should be considered when evaluating Rohit’s captaincy.
Speaking to RevSportz after India’s defeat to Australia in the WTC final, former Australian skipper Michael Clarke urged the Indian think-tank to show faith in Rohit. “I would be keeping faith with Rohit. I think he is a very good captain. I like his aggressive approach, and he looks to be as positive as he can be. He has had a lot of success as a leader. Look at his IPL record for Mumbai (Indians). Just because India didn’t win the Test World Championship doesn’t mean Rohit is not the right guy to lead India. The fact that India qualified again, they are the only team to make consecutive finals says a lot about how they have played their Test cricket over the past four years. It is also a very important time for stability with the One-Day World Cup right around the corner,” Clarke said.
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Clarke highlights India’s retention of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at home as a significant achievement under Rohit’s captaincy. He also acknowledges Rohit’s contributions as a premier batter across all formats. Clarke points out that a one-off final loss should not diminish Rohit’s leadership abilities or undermine India as a team. He emphasizes the importance of considering India’s consistent performances, especially in Test cricket.
“He has done well as a batter as well. Think of his hundred in the last series. Losing a one-off final doesn’t make him a bad captain and nor does it make India a bad team. To make consecutive finals isn’t easy. It means India was the only team to consistently play well over four years. To do so in Test cricket is commendable, and I urge you to look at that as well before making any kind of judgment call,” Clarke added.
Regarding Rohit’s leadership, the 2015 World Cup-winning captain pointed out that India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by defeating Austalia at home. The former Aussie cricketer highlighted Rohit’s contribution as a premier batter while leading the Men In Blue across all formats.
