India’s star batter Virat Kohli may just be about to get a shocking position in the team, right before the prestigious Champions Trophy is scheduled to begin.
The batting maestro might be appointed as India’s Test captain on a temporary basis since younger players are not yet ready for the role.
A report claims that India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has spoken to Kohli about leading the team again, but Kohli has not given a clear response. Jasprit Bumrah may not be considered for captaincy with concerns about his workload.
“Coach Gautam Gambhir has backed the idea of Virat leading the Test team again. But he is yet to clear his stance officially. Team India has done well under Virat’s aggressive captaincy, especially in overseas conditions. With the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle starting, the team needs a leader like Kohli because the next line of Test leaders is still in development. In the interim, Kohli looks like the most suited option,” the report said.
Meanwhile, captain Rohit Sharma seemed annoyed when asked about his poor form ahead of the first ODI against England. He responded, “What sort of a question is that? This is a different format at a different time. As usual, as cricketers, we know there will be ups and downs. I have faced that a lot in my career. This is nothing new to me. We know that every day is fresh, and every series is a new one. I am looking forward to the challenge and not looking at the past. Clearly, you don’t. So I don’t have any reason to look at the past.”
Commenting on the criticism he is facing, his teammate Ravi Chandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, “This is not easy. If you look at it from Rohit’s point of view, then obviously, it is frustrating for him. He wants to concentrate on the series. He thinks that I’ve done well in this format, and I’d like to continue. I’m going into the tournament with a lot of confidence on the back of the One-Day tournaments that I’ve played.”
He further explained, “But people will ask questions. The ones who are watching will obviously ask. It’s a catch-22 situation. You can’t stop these questions. When will they stop? When he performs.”
Rohit, who returned to international cricket after a month, managed only two runs in the first ODI in Nagpur.