India has named veteran batsman Rohit Sharma as its next Test captain, replacing Virat Kohli after the former captain stepped down from the role.
Sharma will lead an Indian side including Kohli in a home Test series against Sri Lanka in his first assignment in one of the most high-pressure roles in all of world sport.
The 34-year-old has been earmarked as a leader from the moment he made his international debut in 2007, and he’s led the Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles. He is already India’s skipper in the white-ball formats.
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Sharma’s selection was confirmed by India’s chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma.
“Rohit Sharma is the No.1 cricketer of our country,” he said.
“Today’s professional cricketers manage their body and Rohit has no problem at all and he is absolutely OK.
“And if such a big and experienced cricketer comes forward and becomes captain then the future captains to be groomed under Rohit would be a tremendous thing for us.”
Sharma’s leadership had previously received the backing of former Australian captain Ricky Ponting.
“I think the proof is in the pudding with what he has done at the Mumbai Indians since that moment on. He has been a very successful leader there and has been when he has led India on a few occasions, as well,” Ponting told The ICC Review.
“If I go back to what I said at the start about being on top of your game when you take over a captaincy role, then it is pretty hard to argue after what he has done with his Test cricket in the last two to three years. He has played as well as anybody in the world through that period of time, and we know how good he is as a white-ball player.”
Kohli captained India in 68 Tests after taking over the role from MS Dhoni in 2014.
He scored 5864 runs as India’s Test skipper, scoring 20 centuries and 18 half-centuries.
India ascended to being the top-ranked Test nation under Kohli’s guidance, while the team also secured two series wins in Australia during his tenure.
The 33-year-old has struggled for form in the red-ball format in the last few years and has not scored a Test century since the unbeaten 254 he scored against South Africa in 2019.
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