‘Might see Rohit until’: Ex-South Africa star votes Rishabh Pant as future India T20 captain
Virat Kohli will no longer lead the Indian unit in T20Is after the conclusion of the World Cup, which starts from Sunday.
After creating a lasting impact with the bat, Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant is now impressing most with his leadership abilities.
The Roorkee-based wicketkeeper-batter on Sunday became the youngest captain to lead an Indian Premier League franchise in the playoffs when his side locked horns with Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1.
The team also finished top of the table under his captaincy and now with Virat Kohli stepping down from the captaincy position in the shorter format, many feel the responsibility should be handed over to the wicket-keeper.
Ex-South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener, who is now the Afghanistan head coach, echoed similar opinions and also explained the reason behind it.
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“I see a guy like Rishabh Pant being an Indian captain one day. He's still a bit young, possibly. We might see Rohit doing it for a while. I think just in terms of letting somebody else stand up and be a head and shoulders pick to succeed.”
“Rohit can do it while somebody grows or somebody comes through and becomes a clear candidate to do that job,” the ex-cricketer was quoted as saying in a report on Times Of India.
Klusener also heaped praises about Kohli and said: “Virat has been amazing. His passion is incredible. However, it's his choice to move on and that creates a lovely opportunity for somebody else. I just see a younger captain that can be there for a while and have that continuity. So, I don't think there's anybody that's clearly standing up. So, we might just see Rohit doing it for a while until there's somebody that can nail down that captaincy spot.”
Kohli will no longer lead the Indian unit in T20Is after the conclusion of the World Cup, which starts from Sunday.
Kohli stressed on the workload factor as one of the main reasons behind the decision. He also gave up the leadership role for IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, a decision that he announced at the start of the second leg in UAE.