Rohit Sharma was named India’s Test captain on Saturday, completing his takeover of the leadership across all cricket formats after Virat Kohli’s retirement.
Rohit, 34, will captain the squad in the next two-test series against Sri Lanka, which starts on March 4.
“Rohit Sharma is our country’s number one cricketer,” he said.
“King Kohli” resigned as India’s Test captain in January after resigning as T20 captain last year and then being fired as ODI captain.
A few weeks ago, Rohit, who has been called the “Hitman” because of his huge hundreds and sixes, led the team to victory in a one-day series against the West Indies, which they won.
Before Kohli left, he had already been in charge of the Mumbai Indians’ white-ball team. He has led them to a record five IPL championships.
Rohit has been a regular component of the Test squad since he opened the batting for India in October 2019, when he scored twin centuries.
He has played 43 Tests since making his Test debut in 2013. He has scored 3,047 runs, including eight centuries.
– Are you a fill-in skipper? –
Critics point to Rohit’s injury history and his 18-month age difference with Kohli, hinting that he may serve as a temporary captain until someone younger takes over, such as Rishabh Pant.
However, his aggressive batting style and proclivity for big scores (he scored 177 on his Test debut and has a highest score of 212) have earned him a fan following.
Rohit is also seen as being less combative than his predecessor, who had several run-ins with other teams and referees. His imposing body stands in stark contrast to Kohli’s svelte fitness enthusiast demeanour.
Chetan, the selection chairman, brushed off reservations about the new skipper.
“Today’s professional cricketers are adept at managing their bodies, and Rohit has no such issues and is completely well,” he said.
“And if such a big and experienced player steps up and takes the captaincy, Rohit could help us train the next generation of leaders. That would be a great thing.”
Under Kohli, one of the greatest batters of his time, India climbed the international rankings and shook off their reputation for weak away performances, winning two series in Australia.
On March 4, when the first Test against Sri Lanka begins in Mohali, he will play his 100th match in the five-day format.
He ended his captaincy with a record of 40 victories and 17 defeats in 68 Tests—by far the greatest percentage of any Indian skipper, and much ahead of his predecessor, M.S. Dhoni.
However, India did not win an international title during his time in charge, including a terrible T20 World Cup last year. This made his reputation even worse with fans and the BCCI.
Kohli, who is married to Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, has been a vocal supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter, where he has more than 45 million followers.
However, he was mocked by Hindu hardliners last year for supporting the squad’s lone Muslim player, Mohammed Shami, after Pakistan’s World Cup hammering of the team.
Attaining someone on the basis of their faith is the most pitiful act a human being can do,“ Kohli remarked.
Kohli’s batting form has deteriorated as well, with his last century being in August 2019 and him hitting only eight, 18 and zero in the current one-day series against the West Indies.
“I’ve done my job completely honestly and have left nothing out,” Kohli said after his resignation as Test skipper.
