'We have them, but all that matters is ...': Shami has his say on Kohli's replacement as India's new Test captain

With Rohit already named as the new vice-captain of the Indian team in December, he has emerged as the front-runner for the role

Veteran Indian pacer Mohammed Shami has opened up on India's new Test captain after Virat Kohli had resigned from the post earlier this month following India's 2-1 Test series defeat in South Africa. Shami is more concerned with the results irrespective of whoever takes the position.

India's Mohammed Shami with Virat Kohli (AP)

Talking to Telegraph, Shami feels good that the new Test captain will have his first assignment on home soil with India slated to face Sri Lanka in the a two-test series at home later next month, after the limited-overs series against West Indies. However, he added that players as individuals should look to perform well and take the bigger responsibility which will help in getting the desired result.

“Of course, the team needs a leader (in Test cricket). Good that our first series (under the new captain) will be at home (against Sri Lanka next month), so familiarity with the conditions brings in some sort of a relief.

“But if you ask me, I will be focusing more on how I fare and how the bowling unit performs as a whole. I’m really not thinking about who takes over the captaincy. We have Rohit (Sharma), while Ajinkya (Rahane) is there as well, but all that matters is the result.

“It’s up to the individuals to focus more on their own performances and take bigger responsibility, as that leads to the results we expect,” Shami asserted.

With Rohit already named as the new vice-captain of the Indian team in December, he has emerged as the front-runner for the role, however the selectors will have to ponder upon the option with the veteran opener suffering from fitness issues. Besides him, three more names have emerged - Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah.

Rahane, which has been mentioned by Shami above, would have been the primary choice ahead of Rohit, but his recent struggles with the bat has seen him battling for his own spot in the playing XI following which BCCI replaced him as the vice captain