BCCI names Rohit Sharma as new ODI captain ahead of South African tour
Image Credit: ICC-cricket
BCCI has made a massive announcement to name Rohit Sharma as the captain of the Indian ODI team. The Board of Control for Cricket took it to Twitter to make this big announcement.
The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI & T20I teams going forward.#TeamIndia | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/hcg92sPtCa
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 8, 2021
The board made this move after Virat Kohli stepped down from the position of India’s limited over captain, following the T20 World Cup loss. Before the World Cup, Kohli announced that he would be stepping down from the position. Simultaneously Kohli also gave up the captaincy of his IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Rohit Sharma was the first candidate for the position of Captain in the shortest format of the game. With his prolific record with Mumbai Indians and his long tenure as the deputy to Kohli, there was little doubt about who would be the next T20I captain for India.
However, the decision of the ODI captain has come as a surprise to the mob. Since Kohli had not clarified his stance on ODI’s captaincy, nobody knew what would be his future in the 50-over format. Although there is little doubt about his spot in the Indian team, he remains the best batter in the current Indian squad.
Under Kohli Captaincy in limited-overs, India never won any major ICC trophy; they made it to the semifinal World Cup 2019. At the same time, they lost the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2017 and the World Test Championship in 2021. The lack of trophies does not justify what Kohli has done for the team and the country. He has been a terrific leader with the bat and on the field as well.
Rohit Sharma will take on the mantle from Virat Kohli in the coming year, as India plays 3 ODI series against South Africa. Rohit will be looking to replicate his success in the home T20I series against New Zealand as a captain. India whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 to win the T20I series.