“I’m not saying this because Kohli is a poor captain” - When Gautam Gambhir backed Rohit Sharma for massive role after IPL 2020 final

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir backed Rohit Sharma to become the national captain long before it happened. With Virat Kohli leading India across formats, Gambhir urged management to consider split-captaincy with Rohit leading the white-ball sides.

His remarks came after Rohit led the Mumbai Indians (MI) to an incredible fifth IPL title in 2020. Meanwhile, Kohli was still captaining the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), with the franchise searching for their elusive title.

Talking to ESPN Cricinfo after the 2020 IPL season, Gambhir said (via India Today):

"If Rohit Sharma doesn't become India's captain, it's their loss, not Rohit's. I'm not saying this because Kohli is a poor captain. But he has received the same platform that Rohit has, so you have to judge both of them on the same parameters. Both have been captains in the IPL for the same length of time. I feel Rohit stands out as a leader."

He continued:

"They can also consider split-captaincy. No one is poor. Rohit has shown in white-ball cricket how big the difference is between his and Virat's captaincy. One player had led his team to five titles, the other hasn't won yet. The parameters and benchmark should be the same. Rohit has led his team (MI) to five IPL titles."

Rohit eventually became India's captain across formats, taking over from Kohli in 2022. The duo, however, have relinquished IPL captaincy, with RCB and MI now being led by Rajat Patidar and Hardik Pandya.

How Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fared as Indian captains

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma recently celebrated India's 2025 Champions Trophy win [Credit: Getty]

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have captained India across formats for several years, from the second half of the 2010s until now. The duo boast sensational captaincy numbers in ODIs, with India winning over 70 per cent of their 95 games under Kohli and an incredible 77.27 per cent of 56 outings under Rohit.

Rohit beats Kohli by a bigger margin in T20Is, with a winning percentage of 79.83 in 62 matches compared to 64.58 for Kohli in 50 games. Furthermore, Rohit has led India to two white-ball ICC titles - the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy, compared to Kohli's none.

Yet, Kohli takes the honors in the red-ball format with a remarkable 70.17 win percentage in 68 matches, compared to Rohit's 57.14 in 24 outings. Each has led Team India to runners-up finishes in the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2021 and 2023, respectively.