Ganguly backs 'leader' Rohit Sharma to remain India captain till 2024 T20 World Cup

Former India captain and BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly has backed leader Rohit Sharma to continue captaining India across formats till the 2024 T20 World Cup. While the Indian board was contemplating taking a call on Rohit's white-ball future as a skipper post the World Cup final, the latest reports suggest the BCCI plans to back the veteran batter to continue leading till next year's 20-team tournament, to be hosted by West Indies and the USA in June.

Ganguly believes Rohit is the right man to lead India in another World Cup, having fared exceptionally well in the marquee events earlier.

“Rohit Sharma should be the captain of India because he's done so well in the World Cup. He's a leader. So I expect, and I presume, that he will continue as captain till the T20 World Cup," Ganguly was quoted as saying to the reporters.

"Rohit Sharma should be the captain of India because he's done so well in the World Cup. He's a leader. So I expect, and I presume that he will continue as captain till the T20 World Cup," says former Indian cricket team captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly

(Video: ANI) pic.twitter.com/rlVaAViELp — WION Sports (@WIONSportsNews) December 1, 2023

Rohit was appointed an all-format captain under Ganguly's tutelage as the BCCI president in late 2021.

Under Rohit, India reached the semis of the 2022 T20 World Cup, losing to England eventually. In the 2023 home World Cup, despite being the favourites against Australia in the final, India lost the daddy clash by six wickets.

Besides, Rohit guided India to their second successive World Test Championship Final in June this year, where for the second straight time the Indian Team failed to beat their opponents (Australia this time) and came second.

New captains appointed for SA's white-ball leg

The BCCI's men's selection committee named all three squads for the away South Africa tour, starting December 10, picking two separate captains in T20Is and ODIs, respectively.

ALSO READ:South Africa vs India: Rohit, Virat to skip white-ball leg, BCCI names new captains for T20Is, ODIs

In a statement, the board informed that stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma asked for rest for the white-ball series and will return to the side for the two Tests, starting with the Boxing Day Test in Centurion.

While India's best T20I batter, Suryakumar Yadav, will lead the team in the shortest format, KL Rahul will captain India in three ODIs.

Outside of Kohli and Rohit, ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounder Hardik Pandya and World Cup hero Mohammed Shami (availability is subject to fitness) are also missing from the T20I and ODI squads.

Barring Pandya (who is injured) and Shami, who is undergoing treatment, all three of Kohli, Rohit and Bumrah were named in the Test squad.