Rohit Sharma will play the England Tests later this year, as he plans to continue as the captain unless the BCCI zeroes in on his successor, per the latest report. Sharma, who faced severe wrath for his poor show Down Under, wherein he returned with just 31 runs across three Tests, besides his mediocre captaincy, was part of a review meeting in Mumbai on Saturday (Jan 11).
Per a report in Dainik Jagran, Rohit agreed to remain the national team’s skipper across formats, adding regardless of who his successor is, he will get the dressing room’s complete support.
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Besides, discussions around his ODI future were also held, with the selectors to take a call on his successor in the One-Day format after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Last year, ace T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav replaced Rohit as the new captain in the shortest format. Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their T20I retirements following winning the T20 World Cup in the Americas.
Will Bumrah succeed Rohit in Tests and ODIs?
India’s premier seamer Jasprit Bumrah’s name as Rohit’s successor, mainly in Tests, was also discussed, with all present, including chief selector Ajit Agarkar, board members, the head coach Gautam Gambhir and Rohit sharing apprehensions over the same.
While Bumrah is being considered for a future leadership role with Team India, concerns about his ability to manage his workload during a lengthy five-match Test series led everyone nowhere in this discussion.
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Rohit remains the only option with the selectors to go ahead as the captain for England Tests starting June 20.
Bumrah – the captain in BGT!
Jasprit Bumrah has led India a few times across formats, lately during the recently concluded Australia Tests Down Under. In Rohit Sharma’s absence from the series opener in Perth for personal reasons, Bumrah wore the captain’s hat, helping India draw first blood at the Optus Stadium.
However, with Rohit re-linking with the Indian Team midway through the first Test, he returned to the playing XI and the leadership role for the next three games, with India losing two of them.
India conceded the lead (1-2) heading into the series decider in Sydney, with Rohit opting out of the final Test of the series owing to poor form. His absence meant Bumrah was roped in as the stand-in captain for the second time in the series, leading to him playing all five Tests and eventually suffering back spasm midway through the Test.
With no Rohit and Bumrah during the fourth innings, Kohli captained but failed to help India defend a modest total. As a result, they lost the series (1-3) and, with that, the chance to qualify for the WTC Final 2025.
(With inputs from agencies)