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'I see a guy like him becoming India captain one day': Klusener names 2 candidates to replace Virat Kohli as skipper
With Virat Kohli having announced his decision to step down as T20 captain of the Indian team after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, the hottest topic of discussion in Indian cricket at the moment is who could possibly replace him as the next leader.
With Virat Kohli having announced his decision to step down as T20 captain of the Indian team after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, the hottest topic of discussion in Indian cricket at the moment is who could possibly replace him as the next leader. While the first name that comes to mind is obviously Rohit Sharma, considering his fabulous record as T20 captain in both international and franchise T20 cricket, India need to groom someone for the future.
At 34, Rohit can certainly lead India for some time, although his case is likely expected to be a stop-gap arrangement until the next leader comes to the fore. With Kohli likely to stay as captain of the ODI and Test setups until the 2023 World Cup in India, India can groom talents who could usher them into the next era.
Weighing on the topic, former South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener has thrown his weight behind Rishabh Pant to possibly captain India in the time to come, Having said that, Klusener realised that Pant may be a tad raw to take up the responsibility immediately, which is why he reckons that the BCCI could make Rohit captain for the time being and allow someone like Pant to nurture until the right time comes.
"I see a guy like Rishabh Pant becoming 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 Virat might mean Rohit doing it for a little while. Rohit can do it while somebody grows or somebody comes through and becomes a clear candidate to do that job," Klusener told Times of India.
While Pant is surely a candidate, having recently led Delhi Capitals to the Playoffs of IPL 2021, another name that comes to mind is KL Rahul. With the uncertainty existing over the next India captain, Klusener feels Rohit could be the perfect person to step in for the time being but insisted that a younger captain is the need of the hour so that he can be around for a long time.
"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," the former all-rounder added.
