Expectations are high for Rohit Sharma to lead India in the T20 World Cup next year. This comes after all coaches, with Rahul Dravid heading them, received extended contracts.
Last year, Rohit and Dravid led the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup quarterfinals, where they were defeated. However, the pair guided the hosts to 10 successive wins in the recently ended ODI World Cup, however they fell short against Australia in the final.
Aakash Chopra stated in a video posted to his YouTube channel that Dravid’s contract extension suggests that Rohit would captain India at the 2024 T20 World Cup. He stated:
“He (Rohit) might go as the captain and I feel he will go now. When you have kept Rahul based on continuity, how will you ask Rohit Sharma to go somewhere else? According to me, Rohit is going to be the captain in the T20 World Cup as well.”
Aakash Chopra
Anticipating Rohit to score well in IPL 2024, the ex-India leadoff hitter believes Virat Kohli will fill India’s No. 3 batting spot at the T20 World Cup. He said:
“If he is in slightly good form in the IPL, which I feel will be the case this time, he will play with a little freedom, Rohit Sharma will be our captain. You will see Virat Kohli only playing at No. 3.”
Aakash Chopra
In the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit was at his most aggressive, hammering 597 runs in 11 innings with an outstanding strike rate of 125.94. On the other hand, he didn’t have a fantastic run in IPL 2023, accumulating 332 runs in 16 innings at a dismal average of 20.75, and will be looking to improve this time around.
“You might see a different opening partner for Rohit Sharma” – Aakash Chopra
Nonetheless, Aakash Chopra believes Rohit Sharma might not share the opening position with KL Rahul in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He stated:
“You might see a different opening partner for Rohit Sharma, but I don’t who that will be. Your core is not going to change. You will see an almost identical squad that played in the 2022 T20 World Cup. It will play in 2024 as well.”
Aakash Chopra
The ex-cricketer, now commentator, thinks the choice-makers will keep the senior players. This is due to the good performance seen in both the Asia Cup and the World Cup. He explained further:
“How they will play is a big issue but I don’t think a lot of things are going to change because the indications are in front of us that they don’t want to change. That is the recency bias. You played a good World Cup and Asia Cup.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopra said that if the same question had been posed after the 2022 T20 World Cup, the answer may have been different.