Former India opener-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir said on Thursday that Indian captain Virat Kohli is able to lead the Indian cricket team smoothly as he has the players like Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni with him in the squad. Gambhir added that the efficiency of one’s captaincy can be tested when he lead a franchise team in the IPL. He, however, compared Kohli with Rohit and MS Dhoni as both Rohit and Dhoni won three titles each in the IPL but Kohli-led RCB failed to win a single time since it’s beginning.
“Still a long way to go for him. Kohli was very good in the last World Cup but he has a long way to go. He captains so well in international cricket because he has got Rohit Sharma, he had MS Dhoni for a long time. Captaincy credentials are noticed when you are leading a franchise, when you do not have other players supporting you,” Gautam Gambhir told reporters.
He, however. backed Rohit Sharma in the opening slot in the longer format of the game as well. He further said that KL Rahul got a lot of chances but failed to utilise and now this is Rohit’s turn. Rohit Sharma is too good a player to be sitting on the bench.
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“I think KL Rahul has been given a longer run. It is time for Rohit Sharma to open the batting in Test cricket. If you pick him in the squad, he has to be a part of the playing XI. If he does not fit your playing XI, no point in picking him in the squad of 15 or 16. He is too good a player to be sitting on the bench,” Gambhir said.
In 2007, India had a poor 50-over World Cup in the West Indies as they were knocked out in the group stages. However, in the same year, they won the maiden T20 World Cup in South Africa under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. There Gautam Gambhir finished as the leading run-scorer in the tournament.
“In 2007, when I missed the 50-over World Cup, that was the lowest moment in my cricketing career. I had given up on cricket. Before that, I had missed both U-14 and U-19 World Cups. In 2007 I thought I was the closest to play the World Cup, but when they did not include me in the squad, I had given up on cricket,” Gambhir added.
“Then I was chosen in Twenty-20 World Cup in 2007 and I got dismissed for a duck in the first match against Pakistan. But as fate has it, I finished as the leading run-scorer in the World Cup and we ended up winning the tournament so one should never give up,” he concluded.
