India’s talismanic batsman Rohit Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as India’s new white-ball captain after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the decision while naming the upcoming Test squad for the South Africa tour.
Earlier, Virat Kohli had already announced that he would be stepping down from the captaincy of the shortest format of the game after the completion of the t20 World Cup. However, the BCCI decided to replace Virat with Rohit in the ODI format as well. However, Virat will continue to lead the Indian cricket team in the longest format of the game.
India’s new split-captaincy will come into work from the upcoming tour to South Africa, however, ahead of the tour, Rohit Sharma opened up about his new role as team India’s new white-ball skipper. He was all praises for his predecessor, Virat Kohli, and the legacy he has left behind in the limited-overs format.
Speaking in a video posted by the BCCI, Rohit said that Kohli has put the team in a situation from where ‘there is no looking back’. Rohit hailed Virat for always leading the team from the front. He said:
“He’s put the team in a situation where there is no looking back. Those five years he has led the team, he led from the front every time we stepped onto the park. There was clear grit and determination to win every game. That was the message to the entire squad,”
He added:
“We had a great time playing under him. I have played a lot of cricket with him, I have enjoyed each and every moment and I’ll still continue to do that. We need to keep getting better as a team and as individuals and that will be the focus not just for me but for the entire squad moving forward,”
Rohit Sharma’s first assignment as ODI skipper will be a 3-match series against South Africa, that will kickstart from January 19. Expressing his feelings on being named as India’s new white-ball skipper, Rohit said:
“Deeply honoured and grateful for the opportunity. It’s a huge opportunity and I’m absolutely happy about it. I look forward to leading Team India in white-ball cricket. It’s going to be an exciting journey,”
Goals & excitement ?
Working with Rahul Dravid ?@imVkohli‘s legacy as India’s white-ball captain ?#TeamIndia‘s new white-ball captain @ImRo45 discusses it all in this special feature for https://t.co/Z3MPyesSeZ ? ?Watch the full interview ? ?https://t.co/JVS0Qff905 pic.twitter.com/kFlqZxWh5t
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2021
Talking about the upcoming series, the Indian cricket team will be playing a three-match Test series in South Africa, that will kickstart from December 26. The second Test will begin on January 3 at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg while the third and final match will be played from January 11 at Newlands, Cape Town. Followed by this, Rohit will lead the Indian cricket team in a 3-match ODI series.
Also Read: Captain Rohit Sharma Shared An Important Message For His Team
