As Indian fans delightedly celebrated winning the T20 World Cup 2024, they also received heartbreaking news: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hung up their boots from T20 internationals. After being named Player of the Final, Virat Kohli announced that it is now time for the next generation to take over his role in this format. Soon after, Rohit Sharma also announced his retirement from the shortest format for India.
Now the question arises: who will replace the two Indian superstars? Their departure will leave a huge void in the T20I team. Here, we will discuss some options who could be perfect replacements for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in this format.
Virat Kohli’s Replacements: Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson
Shubman Gill is someone who has the potential to reach the level of Virat Kohli. Although he underperformed in IPL 2024 and was thus not selected for the T20 World Cup squad, Yashasvi Jaiswal was preferred over him. However, Gill is now set to lead the Indian team on the Zimbabwe tour, which clearly indicates that the BCCI is planning something big for him. After Virat Kohli’s retirement, he will be an obvious pick in a full-fledged Indian squad.
Sanju Samson was benched throughout the World Cup as the management preferred Rishabh Pant over him. However, with Kohli retiring from T20Is, Samson can sneak into the playing XI and be an ideal choice for the No. 3 role. Both he and Rishabh Pant can fit into the same playing XI after the departure of these two Indian superstars.
Rohit Sharma’s Replacements: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Hardik Pandya (as captain)
Rohit Sharma ended his T20I career by lifting the most prestigious award as captain. India now needs someone who can match Rohit’s abilities. Currently, there doesn’t seem to be a better option than Hardik Pandya to replace Rohit as captain in the T20I format. After a setback in IPL 2024, Hardik bounced back in the T20 World Cup and showed his potential.
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The player who can replace Rohit both as a player and a captain is Ruturaj Gaikwad. The current CSK captain is a brilliant opening batter and a future contender for India’s captaincy. After Rohit Sharma’s retirement, selectors may look to groom Ruturaj Gaikwad. He will be seen in action during the Zimbabwe series starting on July 6.