Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that India should appoint a new captain for the entire Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia if Rohit Sharma is unable to make it to the first couple of Tests. Rohit’s participation in the opening Test in Perth is in doubt due to personal reasons. In this scenario, following India’s humiliating 0-3 home series whitewash at the hands of New Zealand, Gavaskar has proposed that India need to be united under one captain for an entire series.
In light of this, Gavaskar has stated that should Rohit not be in the team for the first two Tests, the vice-captain of the side should be made the permanent captain for the entire series. Presently, the vice-captain of the Indian Test team is pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.
“We have been reading that Rohit Sharma will not play in the first Test, perhaps he will not play in the second as well. If this is the case, then I say that, right now, the Indian selection committee should say that ‘if you have to rest, rest, if there are personal reasons then look at them. But if you are missing two-thirds of the matches then you should go for this tour only as a player. We will make the vice-captain the captain of this tour’,” said Gavaskar speaking to Sports Tak.
“Indian cricket is the most important. I would say that if we had won the New Zealand series 3-0, it would have been a different matter. Because we have lost this series 3-0, there is a need for a captain. The captain has to unite the team. If there is no captain in the beginning, it is better to make someone else the captain,” Gavaskar further added.
Bumrah has captained India in only one Test till date, against England in Birmingham in 2022. On that occasion, England chased down a target of 378, winning by seven wickets.
