Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif expects that selectors would back experienced opener Rohit Sharma to lead the national team at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States in June 2024.
Rohit guided the Men in Blue to the 2023 World Cup final, and Kaif praised the manner the Indian captain made tactical decisions. He believes Rohit’s expertise and ability to counter-attack with the bat, as seen in the World Cup, will benefit India in the shorter format.
Mohammad Kaif said about Rohit Sharma in an interview with IANS:
“You need skipper Rohit more than batter Rohit to lead the team in T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit Sharma has to be there because he has got the leadership quality. The way he led in the 50 overs World Cup, he has done a fantastic job as a leader…India will need his experience in T20s too. Rohit as a skipper as a batter did a fantastic job, which India will need in T20s as well.”
Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif expresses surprise over Cheteshwar Pujara’s exclusion from SA Tests
Cheteshwar Pujara’s exclusion from India’s Test team for their match against South Africa perplexed Mohammad Kaif.
The tourists have opted to put their confidence in people like Shreyas Iyer in foreign settings, and Kaif believes they will miss Pujara’s experience. In response, he stated:
“It will be hard for Shreyas Iyer to fill the shoes of Pujara. I don’t know why Pujara has not been selected. You can’t just get on the African tour without your prime batter, you just cannot rely on current or past forms, something you need the most is called experience, and India is going to miss it.”
Mohammad Kaif
Both cricket stars, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, won’t play in the ODIs and T20Is matches versus South Africa. They’re planning to return for the Test series.
Meanwhile, Cheteshwar Pujara has very certainly made his final outing for the Indian Test team.
