File image of Virat Kohli and Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma© BCCI
Rohit Sharma faces an acid test as Indian cricket team gets on with their final rounds of preparation for the ODI World Cup 2023 at home. When Rohit Sharma was handed the captaincy, after Virat Kohli failed to win a single ICC title as skipper, there was much expectation. However, he could not led the team to success at the 2022 T20 World Cup and the World Test Championship final. In that scenario,, the marquee event at home gain extra significance. The last time India hosted the ODI World Cup 2023, they won it under MS Dhoni. Since then, India have not been able to win any World Cups, irrespective of the format.
Pakistan pace great Shoaib Akhtar feels that Rohit Sharma should not have taken up captaincy. “There was once a guy who would take the entire team’s pressure upon himself – that was Dhoni. Only a captain can shield the entire team behind him. Rohit is a great guy, but he cripples during captaincy, he panics. These might be harsh words, but I don’t think he should have taken up the captaincy,” Shoaib Akhtar said on ‘Backstage With Boria’.
“Even Virat Kohli isn’t as talented as him. The timing he has and the shots he can play…he is a classical batter – but was he made for captaincy? I question myself most of the time. Does he react well in most of critical situations? I question myself. He should also be questioning it”.
meanwhile, The men’s senior selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), led by Ajit Agarkar, will meet in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the Asia Cup squad.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma will also attend the meeting. India’s team has yet to announce their squad for Asia Cup and World Cup amid concerns over the injury of their key players, while nations like Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh have already named their Asia Cup squads. England and Australia have also announced the provisional squad for the World Cup 2023.
With PTI inputs
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