Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya - who should lead India at the T20 World Cup 2024? That is one big question, which is doing the rounds currently. Rohit Sharma hasn't played a T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup, meanwhile Hardik Pandya has increasingly looked like the one who has emerged as the front-runner to be skipper in the shortest format. However, Hardik Pandya has been injury-prone. Ahead of India Tour of South Africa, if reports were to be believed, the BCCI selectors approached Rohit Sharma to be the T20I captain.
While Rohit Sharma took a break from the white-ball leg of the Tour, he can still be eligible to lead India at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Gautam Gambhir has given a great take on the subject.
The 42-year-old former player opined that Rohit should lead the Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup if he is in good form.
"If Rohit Sharma is in good form, he should be leading in the T20 World Cup or if he is not in good form, whoever is not in good form should not be picked for the T20 World Cup. Captaincy is a responsibility. First, you get yourself selected as a player and then you're made captain. A captain should have a permanent position in the playing eleven, and the permanent place depends on the form," Gautam Gambhir told ANI in a podcast.
The 2011 ODI World Cup winner said that age should not be a criterion when dropping a player from the squad and form should be the only criteria.
"Age should not be the criteria why a player should be dropped or picked, only form should be the criteria. Retirement is also an individual decision, no one can force him (a player) to retire, selectors have all the right not to pick them but ultimately one cannot take a bat or ball away from a player. Form is the topmost priority," he added.
Rohit had a stellar ODI World Cup 2023 and played a crucial role for the 'Men in Blue' as an opener. The 36-year-old was the second-most run-getter in the tournament. He set the pace for India's innings in matches and scored 597 runs at a strike rate of 125.94 in 11 innings.
With ANI inputs