With the talk of the next T20I captain for India heating up, former India bowler Ashish Nehra has also thrown in his suggestion.
There have been many suggestions made as to who should lead India next in T20Is after Virat Kohli quits captaincy in the shortest format at the end of the T20 World Cup.
Many believe Rohit Sharma is the ideal choice as he is the vice-captain of the team currently and has led India previously to two limited overs titles – Asia Cup (50 overs) and Nidahas Trophy (20 overs). He is also the five-time IPL winning captain for Mumbai Indians. So he knows a thing or two about leading in T20s.
However, others believe that India must look for a captain for the future. Rohit is ageing and is touching mid-30s. If India want to look for the future, then they must invest in the youth. So names of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant are thrown in as well. Both are young and have a mature head on their shoulders. Rahul has led Punjab Kings in two seasons, without a lot of success but he has been exceptional as a leader even in defeats. He has only matured as a leader.
Pant has shown in international cricket that he likes to be in a leadership role. He led Delhi Capitals to another playoffs in IPL 2021. He is also a wicket-keeper so that also helps when you are a captain.
Nehra feels besides these two, there is another man in Indian team who can turn out to be an exceptional leader. And he is Jasprit Bumrah.
Nehra told Cricbuzz, “After Rohit Sharma, we are hearing the names of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul [as contenders]. Rishabh Pant has traveled around the world but has also carried drinks and has even been left out from the team before. KL Rahul returned to Test cricket because Mayank Agarwal was injured… So Jasprit Bumrah can be an option too. As Ajay [Jadeja] said, he’s sturdy, a certainty in the team, and is always in the XI for all formats. It’s nowhere written in the rule book that fast bowlers can’t be captains.”
The curtains from the mystery over who leads India next will be over soon as they take on New Zealand immediately after the end of T20 World Cup. The first T20I is on 17 November in Jaipur and the name will certainly be out before then.
