Captaincy milestone in sight as Rohit’s T20I return garners attention

Rohit Sharma (Photo Source: Twitter)

Rohit Sharma is once again on the brink of etching his name in the annals of Indian cricket history. As the Men in Blue gear up to face Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series starting January 11, all eyes are on Rohit who is set to lead the T20I squad after a hiatus of 14 months.

The road to leadership for Rohit opened up unexpectedly as injuries sidelined Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) senior selection committee didn’t think twice before turning to the experienced campaigner, and the return of Virat Kohli hinted at a solid T20 World Cup plan.

Rohit, in a candid expression of his aspirations, had earlier spoken about winning ‘something big.’ The recent Test series in South Africa might not have been the final frontier triumph, but it did bring home a rare Test series draw and the historic first-ever win in Cape Town.

Now, as Rohit leads the T20I charge against Afghanistan, a personal landmark awaits him. The dynamic opener has the chance to become India’s most successful T20I captain in terms of matches won. Currently trailing the World Cup-winning former captain MS Dhoni, who sits at 42 victories in 72 matches, Rohit Sharma stands at 39 wins in 51 matches.

If India manage to clean sweep Afghanistan in the upcoming T20I series, Rohit will join Dhoni as the joint-most successful India captain in men’s T20Is. It’s not just about victories; it’s about the percentage of wins. Rohit already boasts the highest win percentage as India captain in T20Is, standing tall at 76.74%. For comparison, Kohli’s stint as captain in 50 T20Is yielded a win percentage of 60. The battle for supremacy extends beyond leadership to the batting charts, with Rohit and Kohli resuming their duel after a significant hiatus from the format.

As the nation thinks about the impending T20 World Cup in June, Rohit Sharma’s leadership and batting prowess take centre stage. The cricketing fans eagerly await the clash against Afghanistan, not just as a series but as a potential chapter in Rohit Sharma’s quest for something big.