Sanjay Manjrekar wants THIS Indian star to be captain of all 3 formats after T20 World Cup 2024
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Jun 16, 2024, 5:08 PM ISTFormer India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has suggested Jasprit Bumrah as a potential all-format captain for the Indian cricket team after Rohit Sharma, emphasizing the need for consistent leadership across T20Is, ODIs, and Test matches.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar recently discussed the prospect of appointing an all-format captain for the Indian cricket team following Rohit Sharma’s tenure. Manjrekar acknowledged that in recent years, the BCCI has often appointed different captains for T20Is, ODIs, and Test matches when Rohit Sharma was unavailable.
Rohit Sharma is currently leading the Indian national cricket team in the T20 World Cup 2024. The Men in Blue registered three consecutive victories in the group stage before their fourth and final match was abandoned due to a wet outfield. This performance allowed India to advance to the Super 8s alongside the USA from Group A.
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The Indian team played all their group-stage matches in the United States. Moving forward, the Rohit Sharma-led squad will play their Super 8 games in the West Indies. India aims to secure a spot in the semifinals by finishing in the top two places in Group 1, which includes Australia, Afghanistan, and either Bangladesh or the Netherlands.
The 2007 T20 World Cup champions will face Afghanistan in Barbados on Thursday, June 20, followed by a clash against Australia at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia on June 24. The team seeks to avenge their defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad last November.
India’s Leadership Dynamics - Sanjay Manjrekar
In an interview with PTI, Sanjay Manjrekar cited Jasprit Bumrah as a strong candidate with the leadership skills necessary to lead India across all formats. However, Manjrekar emphasized that it is unlikely for one player to captain every match due to the demands of the international calendar.
"Even if Rohit Sharma has captained India across three formats in the main marquee events, India has had different captains in T20Is, ODIs, and Test matches when Rohit wasn’t available, such as in South Africa (2021-22)," Manjrekar told PTI.
"But to answer your question, if there is a walk-in for all three formats plus leadership skills, I think Jasprit Bumrah is that example. However, I don't see one player playing every international game in a calendar year, so we will keep having different captains. I am not advocating that Bumrah should be the captain for all three formats, but if you ask me if there is one player, I think you have one player there," he added.
Rohit Sharma took over as India’s full-time captain for both white-ball formats in December 2021, succeeding Virat Kohli in the Test format in 2022. Under his leadership, India reached the finals of the ICC World Test Championship, the ODI World Cup in 2023, and the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2022.
The 37-year-old batter might consider retiring from the shorter format after the current T20 World Cup in 2024. There is speculation that the BCCI might start grooming a new T20I captain under a new head coach’s tenure.
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