Current Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to lead the Indian side in their opener to the WTC 2023/25 cycle as they will face West Indies in a two-match series. Though all depends on Rohit’s performance now if he lives up to the expectation as a batter in the two matches.

“These are baseless stuff that Rohit will be removed from captaincy. Yes, whether he will last the whole two-year WTC cycle is a big question as he would be nearly 38 when the third edition ends in 2025,” PTI quoted a senior BCCI source as saying, adding, “As of now, I believe that Shiv Sunder Das and his colleagues will have to take a call after the two Tests and looking at his batting form.”

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Post the West Indies Test series, India will shift their focus on ODI World Cup preparation and will only return to the format at the end of the tournament at home that begins from October onwards.

“After West Indies, we have no Tests till December-end when the team travels to South Africa. So there is enough time for selectors to deliberate and take a decision. By then the fifth selector (new chairman) will also join the panel and a decision can be taken, he added.

According to the report, Rohit was reluctant to take up Test captaincy after Virat Kohli relinquished the role in January 2022. But it was former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah who convinced him to take that role.

“The two top men at that time (former president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah) had to convince him to take up the role once KL Rahul failed to impress as a captain in South Africa,” the source said.

So far, Rohit led India in seven Tests and missed three – one in England due to COVID-19 and two in Bangladesh due to split webbing. In those seven matches, he scored 390 runs at an average of 35.45 with that knock of 120 against Australia in Nagpur being his only standout show.

With agency inputs.

Updated: 14 Jun 2023, 04:26 PM IST