Former India opener Aakash Chopra has said that he is not certain about Rohit Sharma continuing as India’s Test captain, saying that age is not on his side and committing to six series in the next WTC 2023-25 cycle is too much of an ask from the Mumbai batter.
India will begin their next ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle with the West Indies tour next month and questions have risen about the direction in which the team is headed as far as red-ball cricket is concerned.
This is especially after India lost their second WTC final, this time to Australia at the Oval.
Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane have been India’s Test mainstay for some time now and the aging superstars will soon have to make way for the younger generation.
Sharma will be 38 years old by the time the ongoing WTC cycle ends in 2025 and hence Chopra feels it's time for the Indian team management to decide the future.
“Rohit Sharma is a good captain. That is out of the question, understands the pulse of the game, and doesn’t make common mistakes. He’s very decent," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“The question is not about Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. It’s about playing XI (for the WTC final). The next question is on the type of pitches they play at home. See, all these decisions are taken by the team management. I am sure Rohit Sharma would’ve been part of the think tank when Virat Kohli was the captain.
Now Kohli will also be part of that group too. However, the responsibility lies with the one who goes for the toss. The focus now is on Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid like it was before on Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri. This is the sad reality," Chopra said.
Chopra also felt that Rohit Sharma will not get as many breaks as he has taken in recent times.
“When we look two years into the future, in 2025, Rohit Sharma could still be playing Test cricket if he wants to play Test cricket. Committing for six series is a long time. He has missed cricket in the past but today where Indian cricket stands, I don’t think he will be allowed as many breaks.
Rohit is a good captain, and a good Test batter but will the future be the same, I’m not 100 per cent certain. Two cycles, two finals, you haven’t won once. Age is also not on his side. This is the sad reality," Chopra signed off.
