LUCKNOW,
India —
Rohit Sharma said Wednesday he was happy to help train possible
successors following his recent appointment as India's cricket captain across
all formats in place of Virat Kohli.
اضافة اعلان
The
star batsman was named Test captain on Saturday – he was already white-ball
skipper – but since he will turn 35 in April pundits do not expect his tenure
to be a long one.
India's
cricket board has identified three possible candidates all in their 20s to
follow him eventually –
Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant.
"I
won't have that much of a role of telling them each and everything, obviously
they are all mature cricketers but someone needs to be around them to help and
guide them in difficult situations and (I am) more than happy to do that,"
Rohit told his first press conference after taking over the Test job.
"We
were groomed by someone else, so it's a natural process. If you talk of Bumrah,
KL, Pant, they have a big role to play in India's success at the same time they
are looked upon as leaders as well."
India's
pace spearhead Bumrah, 28, has been appointed vice-captain in the upcoming
series of three T20s and two Tests at home to Sri Lanka beginning Thursday.
KL
Rahul, 29, who captained the ODI team in
South Africa in January, remained
unavailable due to injury.
The
24-year-old Pant, a wicketkeeper-batsman who leads Indian
Premier League team
Delhi Capitals, has also been earmarked as a future captain by pundits
including batting great Sunil Gavaskar.
"Again
we don't want to put pressure on these guys," Rohit said.
"They
are very critical to us and at the moment we just want them to enjoy their
game, come out freely and execute (their) skills."
'Great
mind'
On
Bumrah's elevation to the deputy's job in T20 and Tests, Rohit said the role
would only add to his promise as a lethal fast bowler – with 113 Test wickets
since his 2018 debut.
"It
doesn't really matter too much if it's a batter or bowler as the vice-captain,
it's the mind that matters of that individual. And I think
Jasprit Bumrah has a
great mind of the game," Rohit said.
"It's
a good way to step into the leadership role now. Obviously he has taken his
game to the next level and I am sure he will continue to do that even further.
But this is only going to add and get him more confident in whatever he wants
to do on the field."
Bumrah
was named vice-captain for the first time in the ODI series in South Africa
earlier this year.
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