It would be a task cut out for the India's limited-overs newly recruited skipper Rohit Sharma who will be spearheading the side in the upcoming home series against West Indies commencing on February 6. For the first time Rohit will be seen leading the pack as a full time captain after Virat Kohli was sacked from the skipper post by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) back in December 2021.
Speaking on the challenges ahead, former Indian star bowler Ajit Agarkar feels that Rohit's most meaningful challenge would be to stay fit throughout his tenure. Although Rohit led the side during the home Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against New Zealand last November, he suffered a hamstring injury. He missed out on the tour of South Africa, failing to lead the side in the ODIs, as it lost under KL Rahul's leadership.
“I think it’s a good thing and the right thing to do – to have one captain for white-ball format and now Rohit actually can fly. So, the challenge for Rohit Sharma – in my opinion – is to stay fit and play everything that is there, from now to the World Cup in white-ball cricket, because you want the captain – that was one of Virat Kohli’s strengths or MS Dhoni before that, they rarely missed games, and both were very fit,” said Ajit Agarkar told Star Sports.
In the modern cricket fitness has become the fulcrum around everything revolves. Fitness is the key reason why MS Dhoni could lead the Indian team for nearly a decade while Kohli could succeed in taking them to unattained heights in the longest format during his seven-year captaincy tenure. Rohit is reportedly expected to succeed Virat in Test cricket as well and should that happen, he would be the Men In Blue’s all-format captain and need to take his fitness to the next level in order to be available for selection across formats.
Rohit had missed the bilateral series against South Africa citing an injury as his white-ball deputy KL Rahul led the Indian team in the three-match ODI series where the visitors went on to suffer a 0-3 whitewash.
He will have a tricky task to lead the side against the Windies, starting with the T20Is from Sunday. Four of the Indians have tested Covid positive and will be missing out. Therefore, besides having a selection headache, it will be interesting to see how he leads the side while his decision-making abilities are observed.
India ODI squad: Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan
