India’s former batting maestro Sunil Gavaskar has advised Rohit Sharma to give up the Test captaincy for the upcoming five-match series against Australia citing reports of his unavailability for the first two games. He urged BCCI selectors to consider appointing a new captain immediately.
If Rohit is absent, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is expected to step into the role with Abhimanyu Easwaran potentially replacing Rohit in the starting line-up.
Gavaskar, however, believes that the vice-captain should lead the squad for the entirety of the series to ensure continuity. “The captain needs to be there for the first Test,” Gavaskar said in an online interview. “If he’s not, then the vice-captain should assume full responsibility. The pressure of temporarily filling in as captain can be different.”
“If Rohit won’t play two-thirds of the matches, he should just go as a player. The selectors need to decide now, appoint the vice-captain as captain,” Gavaskar asserted, adding, “The responsibility of the captain becomes crucial after a defeat like this.”
Rohit Sharma’s leadership has been under scrutiny from players and pundits alike like Gavaskar.
India was not only swept in a three-Test series for the first time by New Zealand under his leadership, but their chances of playing another WTC Final at Lord’s have also taken a drastic hit.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to begin with the first Test in Perth on November 22 and India needs to win a maximum amount of games in the series to ensure they do not need other team’s help in qualifying for the final.
