Mumbai, India
The uncertainty around Rohit Sharma’s T20I future as a cricketer and captain has kept everyone talking. With the next major ICC event – the 2024 T20 World Cup just seven months away, there is no clarity on who will lead India into the tournament, scheduled in the West Indies and the USA in June next year.
Though some reports have suggested that Pandya – the stand-in T20I captain, could take over the reins from Rohit, others claim that BCCI and re-elected head coach Rahul Dravid want Rohit to continue leading till the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Speaking on the same lines on the sidelines of the WPL 2024 Auction in Mumbai on Saturday, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said there is nothing to confirm yet but shed light on when Hardik Pandya can return to India colours.
“What is the need to have clarity right now? It (T20 World Cup) is starting in June, we have the IPL before that and the series against Afghanistan,” Shah said on the sidelines of the Women’s Premier League auction.
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The ace India all-rounder got injured during the Bangladesh game in the 2023 World Cup and has been out since. With the board and the National Cricket Academy (NCA) planning an 18-week high-performance programme to monitor his workload, Shah revealed Pandya could return as early as during the Afghanistan series in January.
“We are monitoring it on a day-to-day basis. He is at NCA only, he is working very hard, and we will let you know in due course the moment he is fit. He could be fit before the Afghanistan series also,” Shah added.
India gear for T20 World Cup
Following the 50-over World Cup at home, which India failed to win (losing to Australia in the final), the Men in Blue have their eyes set on next year’s T20 World Cup. Though who would lead India is probably the discussion for another day, the board and selectors have little time to determine the best players for the shortest format.
With India scheduled to face just South Africa and Afghanistan (six T20Is in total) in the lead-up to the World Cup, concerns within the board about picking the right team are growing with each passing day.
Meanwhile, the top T20I batter from India, Suryakumar Yadav, will lead the team in South Africa and KL Rahul will captain in the three-match ODIs. Rohit Sharma will return to captain in the two Tests, starting on Boxing Day in Centurion.