The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) faces a challenging task as they strive to persuade Rohit Sharma to lead the Indian team in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa. This challenge arises as Rohit has not played a T20I match since India’s T20 World Cup 2022 exit from the semi-final.
The absence of Rohit Sharma from T20I matches has prompted the leadership role to be temporarily taken over by Hardik Pandya. However, Pandya is expected to miss the South Africa tour due to an ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup.
Rohit Sharma had previously expressed his reluctance to play in the T20 format. However, his commendable leadership during the ODI World Cup has compelled the BCCI to consider him for white-ball cricket until the T20 World Cup in the Americas in June-July. This sets the stage for an intriguing negotiation between Rohit and the cricket board.
According to a report on PTI, the BCCI’s secretary and convenor of selection committee Jay Shah will meet chairman of panel Ajit Agarkar in the national capital to discuss the squads as well as prepare a roadmap for the next big-ticket event the T20 World Cup.
In the event of Rohit Sharma declining the captaincy, Suryakumar Yadav, currently leading the Indian team in the T20I series against Australia, is poised to take on the responsibility. The BCCI will announce the three squads for the South Africa assignment here on Thursday.
“Yes, there remains a question of what happens when Hardik comes back, but in BCCI, they feel that if Rohit agrees to lead in T20Is, he will lead in the T20 World Cup. In case Rohit doesn’t agree, then Surya continues as captain for T20Is in South Africa,” a BCCI source privy to the development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
The tight schedule, with six white-ball matches in 11 days and the imminent Test series, poses challenges for workload management. The BCCI’s priority for formats with upcoming global tournaments adds another layer of complexity to the decision-making process.
In the Test squad, the return of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer after a prolonged injury lay-off presents a selection problem. The potential inclusion of both could pose a challenge for Ajinkya Rahane, and the dynamics might lead to difficult decisions regarding Cheteshwar Pujara’s comeback.
Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness and eagerness to continue playing Test cricket stand out. His companions in the fast bowling department, including Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Shardul Thakur, add depth to the bowling arsenal. Mukesh Kumar emerges as a strong contender for the reserve pacer’s slot.
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Ravindra Jadeja remains the first-choice spinner in overseas conditions. The selection between Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, or Kuldeep Yadav completes the spinner’s lineup. The batting considerations, including the role of Kona Bharat, add further nuances to the squad composition.
“The BCCI has always given preference to that particular white ball format, which has a global tournament in the next six months. ODIs post-World Cup is a third priority, and five ODIs is a lot. Hence, if Rohit leads in T20Is, he might take a rest to freshen up for Tests. The sports science team will decide it,” the source said.
