Former BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has supported Rohit Sharma to stay as the full-time captain of the Indian cricket team at least until the T20 World Cup in 2024, scheduled to take place in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).
Ganguly praised Rohit for his leadership qualities and commended him for taking charge during his tenure as the national captain. The 36-year-old Rohit assumed the captaincy role in T20Is after the T20 World Cup in 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), succeeding Virat Kohli.
In his role as India's T20I captain, Rohit has guided the team to wins in 39 out of 51 matches. He is just four wins away from surpassing Eoin Morgan, Babar Azam, and Asghar Afghan to become the most successful captain in T20Is, with their respective tallies of 42 wins.
"Rohit Sharma should be the captain of India because he's done so well in the World Cup. He's a leader. So I expect, and I presume that he will continue as captain till the T20 World Cup," Ganguly was quoted as saying to the reporters.
Recently, Rohit played a key role in India's journey to becoming the runner-up in the 2023 World Cup. India secured 10 consecutive victories before facing a six-wicket defeat to Australia in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19.
Rohit showcased aggressive cricket in the powerplay, consistently providing strong starts for the Men in Blue. In the final, he scored 47 runs before Glenn Maxwell dismissed him.
He ended the league stage with an impressive 503 runs at a strike rate exceeding 120. The Indian captain extended his aggressive approach into the semi-final, contributing 47 runs off 29 balls. His continuous aggressive play was a deliberate choice he made before the tournament, providing India with another dynamic start on a 'very dry pitch.' This strategic approach acknowledged the significance of scoring runs while the ball was new and within the field restrictions.
Following the World Cup, Rohit opted for a break during the five-match T20I series against Australia and will also be absent from the ODIs and T20Is during the South Africa tour. His return to competitive cricket is anticipated in India's two-match Test series against South Africa, commencing on December 26 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
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