Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned the decision to rest the Team India skipper for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. Opening batter Shikhar Dhawan is in charge of the leadership duties in Rohit Sharma’s absence. The right-handed batter has been rested by the selectors for the whole New Zealand tour, after the conclusion of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Rohit Sharma took over as the captain of the Indian ODI team in December 2021. Since then he has led the team only in six matches in this format – three against West Indies and three against England. As the focus was on the 2022 T20 World Cup, Rohit Sharma was often rested from the ODI squad. In the last year or so, Indian cricket has witnessed several captains.
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on the constant change of leader. Responding to a fan’s questions, he said in a video on his Youtube channel,
“If you look at Sri Lanka, they are playing against Afghanistan, and Dasun Shanaka is leading them. England played against Australia, and Jos Buttler is still their captain. Australia chopped and changed a little bit but Pat Cummins led them in two out of those three matches (against England). If all teams around the world are playing with their original captains then why do we change our captains so much? It’s a valid question.”
Rohit Sharma should take minimal breaks and keep playing: Aakash Chopra
With the ICC World Cup to take place next year, Team India skipper Rohit Sharma is expected to be a part of all the upcoming ODI matches. Aakash Chopra expressed that the captain is responsible to build the team for the mega-event. He added that Rohit should be playing more consistently. The former cricketer also said that if the players want to opt for a break, they should take it during the Indian Premier League, and not during international matches. He stated,
“The captain is the one responsible for building a team. The same captain and the same coach help a lot. The more time you spend with the team, the better you get to know each individual. If constantly, be it in West Indies, Zimbabwe, and now in New Zealand, your captain is not available then there is a problem. Shikhar Dhawan led India in the last three ODI series. Suddenly when you go to Bangladesh, he won’t be the captain. The openers will change, and the captain will change. So when there are so many changes then your preparations are not good.”
“Now, the time for experimenting is gone. Rohit Sharma, I believe he is our captain for the 2023 ODI World Cup. He should take minimal breaks and keep playing. If you need a break, take it during the IPL. If Team India is serious about winning the World Cup then they should start fielding their best XI as much as possible,” he added.
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