After losing the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second consecutive time, members of Team India and skipper Rohit Sharma have drawn serious flak from the fans and experts.
Even former India Head Coach and Team Director Ravi Shastri has put serious question mark over Rohit’s credential as the captain of India. The former India all-rounder expressed his doubt over India’s qualification for the semifinals of the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 to be played in India.
“People had a misconception that under Rohit Sharma india will win ICC trophies. I don’t see india qualifying for semi finals in ODI wc under him,” tweeted Shastri following India’s crushing defeat against Australia in the recently-concluded WTC final at the Oval.
However, fans had a mixed reaction to Shastri’s comment.
“Being a captain is about learning from both victories and defeats. Rohit Sharma has showcased his leadership skills in the past, and it’s important to trust his abilities. Let’s not rush to judgment and give him a fair chance to prove himself,” wrote a fan.
Supporting Shastri’s comment, another fan wrote, “Rohit has never showcased his captaincy ability.”
Shastri also sounded sceptical about the possibility of players getting extended gap after the Indian Premier League (IPL) or practice games ahead of future WTC final matches unless there is a change in thought by all the stakeholders.
However, Shastri put the onus on the players to make a choice. He also hinted that BCCI will have to sit down with the IPL teams to chalk out a way forward.
“That is never going to happen. Let’s be realistic. You are going to get 20 days, but if that is the case, you got to miss the IPL. The choice is for the players. It’s up to the establishment as well. I’m sure the BCCI is going to review this in the future. If the WTC Final is going to come after the IPL, in month of June, for that season, if your team qualifies for the final, there should be certain clauses put in for the franchises,” said Shastri.