Rohit Sharma will lead India in 2024 T20 World Cup, Hardik to be his deputy: BCCI chief Jay Shah

Rohit Sharma will continue to lead India at the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA (in June), BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed on the eve of the third India-England Test in Rajkot. Shah said Rohit has everyone's backing within the dressing room and the board, adding future captain Hardik Pandya will be his deputy in this tournament.

After replacing Virat Kohli as the all-format skipper in late 2021, Rohit captained Team India at the 2022 T20 WC in Australia, where they lost to England by ten wickets in the semis. Under his leadership, India played the World Test Championship (WTC) and the 2023 World Cup final (at home), losing to Australia on both occasions.

Rohit remained unavailable for selection in the T20Is since the Adelaide semis loss, only to return during the Afghanistan T20Is earlier this year. Rohit’s selection in that series indicated who will lead India in the marquee event later in the year.

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"The fact that he was returning after a year to lead in the Afghanistan series recently meant he was obviously going to [lead in the T20 World Cup]," Shah said during an event in Rajkot on Wednesday (Feb 14).

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While backing Rohit to break the ice (of India winning an ICC tournament), Shah confirmed Pandya’s role in the team for the T20 World Cup.

"In T20s, Hardik will be the captain for certain [in the future],” Shah said.

"Rohit has the ability, we know. As he showed in the ODI World Cup, where we won 10 matches in a row until the final. I am confident that India will lift the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma's captaincy in Barbados,” the BCCIsecretary added.

Shah opens on Virat Kohli’s T20I future

Jay Shah also commented on the noise around Virat Kohli for a) the reason behind missing the England Tests, and b) will he play the T20 World Cup?

On Virat missing the home series against England, Shah said that a man who is the first to raise his hand whenever the team needs him should be left alone if he’s asked for some space (probably for the first time in his career).

"If a person, for the first time in a 15-year career, asks for personal leave, it's his right. Virat is not a player who will ask for leave for no reason. We need to trust our player and back him,” Shah said.

Meanwhile, on Virat Kohli’s T20I future, Shah said, "We will talk about him [soon]."