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India’s ace wicket-keeping batter Rishabh Pant could be the next all-format captain for India, former BCCI secretary and selector Sanjay Jagdale told CricBlogger.
After Virat Kohli, who is India’s No. 1 all-format player, Pant could be the second player among the batters to hold that position as an all-format player, alongside bowling all-rounders Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja, who also play all formats for India.
“If Rishabh can bat the way he did against Australia in the 2020-21 series and with his strong T20 comeback, he is ahead in the race to take over from Rohit Sharma as all-format captain,” Jagdale said.
“For Rishabh to become an all-format captain, he needs to maintain his fitness. He is currently showing great fitness and skills, demonstrating enough promise to lead India,” Jagdale added.
Regarding concerns over Kohli’s lack of form in the first three matches of the T20 World Cup, Jagdale expressed confidence that a big knock is imminent. “Kohli is surely going to score against big teams like Australia. He has done it again and again,” Jagdale said.
When questioned about Kohli’s runs not translating into wins in big matches, Jagdale emphasized that cricket is a team sport.
Kohli is perhaps in the last phase of his all-format career, as post the 2024 T20 World Cup, he doesn’t stand a big chance to continue in T20 cricket. As of today, he is still your best bet.
“No one should blame Virat for India not winning ICC events over a decade. He has done everything that matters. If the rest of the team isn’t able to deliver, that isn’t anyone’s fault,” Jagdale reasoned.
Another issue plaguing Indian cricket, besides the lack of team performance in knockout games, is the overstaying of some senior players who continue playing international cricket to keep their IPL contracts intact.
With Gautam Gambhir entering the system with a promise to empower the youngsters, changes are on the horizon for Indian cricket post-2024 T20 World Cup.
