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Former India spinner Nikhil Chopra believes Rohit Sharma was the only ideal candidate to take over the captaincy reins from Virat Kohli, given the respect he commands in the dressing room.
Speaking on the YouTube channel Khelneeti, the cricketer-turned-commentator said that he expects Sharma to be the captain of the Indian team for the next few years. However, he opined that it would be challenging for the senior batter to maintain his fitness if he leads across all three formats.
Chopra said in this regard:
"Rohit Sharma commands respect in the dressing room. After Virat Kohli, he is the only player that comes to mind as the leader of the side. KL Rahul is also slowly trying to reach that stage."
"I am sure Rohit will be captain for the next few years. However, it won't be easy for him to remain fit for all three formats, as he is expected to play all three formats with the same intensity."
It's worth mentioning that Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as Team India's white-ball captain in December last year. The 34-year-old was named the side's new Test captain as well ahead of the upcoming home series against Sri Lanka.
"Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma will want to give chances to new players" - Saba Karim
With senior pros like Ishant Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha dropped from the Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, all eyes will be on the younger players.
Ex-India player Saba Karim feels both Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid could give several opportunities to the new players to prove their mettle in red-ball cricket. He said that the team management should give them a fair chance by not dropping them after a few failed outings.
Karim elaborated his point on Khelneeti:
"Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma will want to give repeated chances to the new players in the Test team. It won't be the case that a player will get dropped after failing in 1 or 2 matches. Players will need time to settle in."
India and Sri Lanka will battle it out in a three-match T20I series scheduled to start on Thursday at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.
The two nations will then lock horns in two Test matches. The opening encounter will be played at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, from March 4.
