Gautam Gambhir had earlier asked for Rohit to be made the Indian captain when the latter had led Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL glory
Dharamsala: Indian cricketers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli showcase the team's new jersey at a press conference on the eve of their first T20I match against South Africa, at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Sep 14, 2019. (Photo: Surjeet Yadav/IANS)
Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir has again insisted for a change in the captaincy of the limited-overs Indian team, calling Rohit Sharma “a better captain” than Virat Kohli.
“Virat Kohli is not a bad captain, but Rohit Sharma is a better captain. There is a vast difference between the quality of captaincy,” said Gambhir on the Star Sports show Cricket Connected.
Gambhir additionally said that the difference between Kohli and Rohit’s record in the Indian Premier League needs to be taken into account. With five titles to his name, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit is the most successful captain in the history of the lucrative T20 tournament while Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Kohli has failed to win the title even once. The team’s best finish in the league since he took over as captain in 2013 has been runners-up in 2016.
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“If we choose players based on IPL performance, then why don’t we choose a captain based on IPL performance? Else, don’t keep IPL has a barometer for batting and bowling performances as well,” said Gambhir.
Gambhir, cricketer-turned-politician, had earlier asked for Rohit to be made the Indian captain when the latter had led Mumbai Indians to their fifth IPL glory this year in the United Arab Emirates.
“If Rohit Sharma doesn’t become India’s captain, it’s their loss, not Rohit’s,” Gambhir was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. “Yes, a captain is only as good as his team and I completely agree with that, but what are the parameters to judge a captain on who is good and who isn’t? The parameters and benchmark should be the same. Rohit has led his team to five IPL titles,” he added.
“We keep saying MS Dhoni is India’s most successful captain. Why? Because he has won two World Cups and three IPLs,” Gambhir said.
“Rohit has won five IPL titles. He is the most successful captain in the history of the tournament. Going forward, it’ll be a shame if he doesn’t get India’s white-ball or just T20 captaincy because he can’t do much more than this. He can only help the team he captains to victories. So if he doesn’t become India’s regular white-ball captain, it will be their loss,” he added.
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