In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, 8 out of 10 teams are led by an Indian captain. While the table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) are being led brilliantly by Hardik Pandya who made his captaincy debut, franchises like the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) too are led by KL Rahul and Sanju Samson in an awe-inspiring way.
Another first-time captain Ravindra Jadeja led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for 8 matches before handing the responsibility to MS Dhoni. Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Rishabh Pant though hasn’t been very consistent this season but under Pant’s captaincy, DC reached the playoffs in the last season.
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Indian Team management will surely have a range of options to choose from as Rohit Sharma’s successor. Former Pakistan skipper Rashid Latif, meanwhile, has backed the 24-year-old Rishabh Pant to lead the India side in white-ball format.
“KL Rahul is a good option. He has led the Punjab side in the IPL efficiently in the past. But I think India should look at a younger option in white-ball cricket. Maybe someone like Rishabh Pant, if he is able to maintain his fitness,” said Latif on his official YouTube channel.
Pant, according to Latif, possesses the ability to think "outside the box," something several former Indian captains, including Sourav Ganguly, MS Dhoni, and Mohammad Azharuddin, also possessed.
“Players like Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, MS Dhoni were different, they used to think out-of-the-box. Rishabh Pant is similar in that way, he is unique and has an out-of-the-box approach."
Rashid also stated that Hardik Pandya if he can consistently perform with the ball in international colors, could be a suitable alternative for India.
"Otherwise, if he can bowl consistently, even Hardik Pandya is a good option for India in white-ball captaincy,” Latif said.
DC holds the 6th spot in the points table with 4 wins in 9 matches and will next take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Brabourne Stadium on Thursday (May 05).
(HT INPUTS)
