Rohit remains 1st-choice captain for WC, MI call unlikely to affect IND: Report – Hindustan Times

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Mumbai Indians on Friday made a striking call to name Hardik Pandya as the new captain for the IPL 2024 season, thus marking an end to Rohit Sharma‘s 10-year-long tenure as the captain. It was only 20 days back when Hardik was traded back to Mumbai after he spent two impressive seasons as Gujarat Titans as their captain, leading them to title glory in 2022 and finishing as runner-up in the next year. And while it was expected to be a much smoother transition in the leadership role, MI made the announcement just four days before the auction in Dubai. Following the big change, there was a whisper in the cricketing fraternity on whether Team India is staring at the same change as well, but a report suggests that Rohit remains the first-choice captain for the T20 World Cup in June.
Hardik has been the unofficial T20I captain for India for over a year now with Rohit having last played the format in November 2022, in the team’s T20 World Cup semifinal loss against England. It was expected of Rohit to return to T20Is post the ODI World Cup, at least for the South Africa series, if not against Australia at home last month. But Rohit opted to extend his period of hiatus in T20Is, and with uncertainty developing over his future in the format, Hardik was touted to rise as the first-choice skipper for the T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA. And amid the discussion, MI made their captaincy announcement with the aim to look at the future and move on from Rohit, who will turn 37 in April next year. But does that mean the decision would also influence the BCCI members to take a similar call for the T20 World Cup?
A report in Dainik Jagran on Sunday revealed that a BCCI official responded with a ‘no’ to the query when asked whether Hardik will captain the Indian team in the T20 World Cup. The official further added that it is a decision of the franchise and that it does not affect Team India and that Rohit continues to be the all-format skipper.
A source also told the national daily that at the recent meeting held in Delhi with Team India head coach Rahul Dravid, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Rohit, who joined virtually, the latter expressed his wish that he should be confirmed as the captain for the T20 World Cup from now itself. There was a verbal agreement on this as well, but with the tournament still six months away, an official announcement has not yet been made. When the official was asked by Dainik Jagran who would be named the captain of both Hardik and Rohit are part of the squad, the answer was in favour of the veteran opener. He added saying that Rohit is a natural captain and that the BCCI have not removed him yet.
When Mumbai made the announcement on Hardik, Rohit was at the annual function of Dhirubhai Ambani School. He is yet to leave for South Africa, where he will be only playing the two-match Test series which begins from December 26 onwards.
Rohit had led Mumbai Indians for 10 seasons, after having taken over the responsibility midway through the 2013 season when Ricky Ponting had decided to step down amid his faltering batting numbers. Rohit led MI to their maiden title win that season, along with a Champions League T20 win, a tournament that is currently defunct. Mumbai also won the IPL trophy in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
There are yet no official statement made by Rohit post MI’s call. Although, an Indian Express report on Saturday revealed that the 36-year-old was informed about the decision before heading into the ODI World Cup in October through a series of meeting after Hardik had set the precondition that he would only return to Mumbai Indians if confirmed as the captain.
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