The BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has announced that Rohit Sharma will be captaining the side for the upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 with Hardik Pandya named as deputy.
India’s Captain for T20 World Cup 2024
The announcement of the BCCI secretary has ended the debate on the leadership of the side for the upcoming Marquee event which is hosted by the USA and West Indies.
The decision was announced on February 14 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot where Rohit Sharma, head coach Rahul Dravid, and chairman of men’s national selections panel Ajit Agarkar were present during the announcement.
“At this point, Rohit is an all-format captain. It is a collective decision, and the selectors are fully aligned on the matter.”
“Hardik Pandya will retain his position as vice-captain for the T20 World Cup. Consider if Hardik gets injured, as he did in the previous World Cup. In such a scenario, who should we entrust with the leadership responsibility,” Shah stated.
“If you recall the Afghanistan T20I match, we were in a tough spot at 27 for four, but Rohit’s remarkable century turned the game around. We can’t question his abilities.”
“Although we won ten consecutive games in the World Cup, we fell short in the final. It’s part and parcel of the game,” said Jay Shah.
“I have not made any comments about the 2023 World Cup, in which we lost the final in Ahmedabad. However, I can assure you that India will clinch the T20 World Cup in Barbados on June 29 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy,” said Shah at the Saurashtra Association Stadium.
The announcement was made on the day before the start of the third Test on England’s tour of India 2024. Hardik Pandya was another contender for the captaincy.
But Shah’s announcement has made it clear on the debate. “It is a significant issue. I will be writing to all the players tomorrow. If your captain and coach instruct you to play, you must comply and participate in red-ball cricket.”
“This directive applies to all players who are not at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). We will ensure that injured players do not risk aggravating their injuries by playing red-ball cricket and jeopardizing their chances in white-ball cricket. However, this directive applies to all young and fit players,” added Shah.
He also spoke about Ishan Kishan who has been focusing on IPL preparations. “He is a youngster… there is no need to mention his name. This directive applies to all players, including those under contract. Going forward, all players will have no choice but to participate in domestic cricket.”
“The team for the Test series is picked. After this, there is no international assignment. There is the IPL. But we will finalize the process, sooner than later,” he said.
Shah also backed Virat Kohli on his withdrawal from the ongoing England series due to personal reasons. “There is no issue with Virat. In a 15-year cricketing career, if one asks for leave for one series that is his right.”
“Virat is not a player who will take leave without a genuine reason. We need to back and trust our players,” the BCCI official said.
The IPL 2024 is set to be played between March 23, 2024, and May 29, 2024. It will be the last chance for players across the World to gain some experience in the short format, before participating in the T20 World Cup which is set to begin in June.
The IPL 2024 schedule is yet to be released by the BCCI as the general election dates clash with the dates of the domestic league. BCCI and the Election Commission of India are working together to finalize the dates of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League.
The first Match of the T20 World Cup will be played between the United States and Canada on June 02, 2024, at Grand Prairie Stadium.
