Former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has shared his thoughts on who should become the next captain of Team India in the longest format.
Currently, Rohit Sharma is Team India’s captain in all formats. The Mumbaikar had replaced Virat Kohli after the latter stepped down as Test captain earlier this year following a 1-2 series defeat in South Africa.
There is no denial that Rohit, who is currently 34-year-old, is not getting any younger, and the chances of him leading in the longest format for a longer period are thin. Yuvraj reckoned the management should look for a younger player to take up the captaincy role in the next few years.
The left-hander cited former India skipper MS Dhoni’s example and backed Rishabh Pant to be Team India’s next captain, stating that the keepers are good thinkers of the game. Yuvi opined that Pant must be given the required time as expecting miracles straightaway would be unfair.
“You must get someone ready. Like Mahi became captain out of nowhere, but they made him, right! Then he evolved. Keeper is always a good thinker because he always has the best view of the ground. You pick a young guy who can be a future captain, give him time and don’t expect miracles in the first six months or a year. I feel you must believe in the younger guys to get the job done,” said Yuvraj in an interview on ‘Sports18’.
Dhoni was just 26-year-old when he was appointed India’s limited-overs skipper following Rahul Dravid’s withdrawal from the role after the 2007 ODI World Cup fiasco. Couple of years later, MSD was also given the responsibility of handling the Test team..
Yuvraj feels that Pant is the ‘right guy’ to lead India’s Test side, dismissing critics questioning the southpaw’s maturity.
“I was immature at that age, Virat was immature when he was captain at that age. But he (Pant) is maturing with time. I don’t know how the support staff think about it, but I think he is the right guy to lead the Test team,” added the 2011 World Cup winner.
