After India’s defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has faced criticism from fans and experts. The team’s loss in the final at The Oval dashed hopes of ending the drought of ICC trophies, despite their strong performance in Test cricket over the past two years. Australia emerged victorious, claiming the prestigious mace with their exceptional performances.

Rohit has proven to be a successful captain in the Indian Premier League (IPL), leading the Mumbai Indians to five titles. However, his success as a captain for the national team has been elusive. Under his leadership, India has suffered defeats in three multi-nation tournaments in the last 24 months: the Asia Cup 2022, T20 World Cup 2022, and the WTC Final 2023. With another ICC event scheduled later this year, Rohit’s future as captain will depend largely on India’s performance in the upcoming marquee tournament on home soil.

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While some former cricketers have called for major changes in the Indian dressing room, many have expressed their support for Rohit. Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has endorsed Rohit’s leadership qualities, emphasizing that India’s qualification for the WTC final for the second consecutive time speaks volumes about the 36-year-old’s captaincy.

“I would be keeping the faith with Rohit. I think he is a very good captain. I like his aggressive approach; he looks to be as positive as he can be. He has had a lot of success as a leader. Look at his IPL record for Mumbai Indians. Just because India didn’t win the Test World Championship doesn’t mean Rohit is not the right guy to lead India,” Michael Clarke expressed his support to RevSports.

Clarke also highlighted Rohit’s contributions as a premier batsman while leading Team India across formats.

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“He has done well as a batter as well. Think of his hundred in the last series. Losing a one-off final doesn’t make him a bad captain, and nor does it make India a bad team. To make consecutive finals isn’t easy. What it means is that India was the only team to consistently perform well over a period of four years. To do so in Test cricket is commendable, and I would urge you to consider that before making any judgment,” Michael Clarke added.

With the One-Day World Cup on the horizon, Clarke emphasized the importance of stability during this crucial time for Indian cricket. Despite the setback in the WTC final, he believes Rohit’s leadership and batting prowess make him the right choice to guide India in future tournaments.