The national selectors have decided to remove Rohit Sharma as captain of India’s Test team and to have a new leader for the England tour that begins next month as reported by the Indian Express (IE). However, it is yet to unfold if Rohit travels to England as a specialist opening batsman. According to (IE), the Indian cricket board will back the selectors’ decision.
Contrary to a move driven by generational shift or the phasing out of senior players, this decision is understood to be rooted in a careful evaluation of Rohit Sharma’s recent performances and his form in the red-ball format of the game. Despite this development in Test cricket, it is learnt that Rohit Sharma remains an integral part of India’s plans for the One Day International (ODI) team.
Contrasting Decision
According to The Indian Express, in March, the board’s inclination towards having Rohit Sharma lead the side in England, buoyed by his successful captaincy in the ICC Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma himself had expressed his enthusiasm for leading the formidable pace attack of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj in English conditions during a recent podcast appearance.
However, over the past month, the national selectors engaged in a series of in-depth discussions regarding Rohit Sharma’s future within the Test setup. These deliberations culminated in a meeting in Mumbai on Tuesday, where the selectors finalised their vision and subsequently conveyed it to the BCCI.
“The selectors’ thought process is clear,” a source within the Indian board revealed to IE. “They want a new leader for the England tour, and Rohit doesn’t fit in as captain, especially considering his red-ball form. The aim is to groom a younger leader for the upcoming Test cycle, and the selection committee has communicated their decision that Rohit will not lead the team.”
Rohit’s performance
The decision-makers are keen to avoid a recurrence of the instability experienced during India’s previous tour of Australia. In that series, Rohit Sharma struggled with the bat, averaging a mere 6.20 across five innings, and notably dropped himself from the playing XI for the final Test. Prior to that, in the home Test series against New Zealand late last year, his average stood at just 15.16 in three Tests.
Considering his recent struggles in red-ball cricket, the selectors are reportedly hesitant to entrust him with the captaincy. The complexities of potentially dropping a non-performing captain from the playing XI, as opposed to a specialist batsman, are also understood to have played a significant role in this decision. Sources suggest that such a scenario could have an adverse impact on team dynamics, as was reportedly felt during the Australia tour.