The Indian cricket team is bracing for a major transition once the 2023 ODI World Cup concludes. The process though has already been set in motion with a bunch of youngsters making their international debuts in the past few months or so.
Similarly, whenever Rohit Sharma steps down as the captain, the vacuum in the leadership will have to be filled immediately and the team management seems to have already started working on that front too.
In the recent past, the likes of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant have been handed over the responsibility whenever the first-choice captain hasn’t been available. These are the players who have been part of the India squad for a significant period but now newcomers including Shubman Gill and Ruturaj Gaikwad have also entered the conversation.
Gill has been playing regularly for India across formats but Gaikwad is yet to prove he belongs to the international stage despite impressive outings in IPL and in domestic cricket.
However, former India selector Kiran More thinks Gaikwad has in it him to play all three formats and even thinks he’s capable enough to lead the team.
“I’m waiting for his (Gaikwad) Test debut,” More said on JioCinema. “Both (Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal) are outstanding players. Ruturaj can play all formats, his basics are so correct. He can be the future captain of India as well, he has got a great temperament.”
Gaikwad plays for Chennai Super Kings in IPL and with MS Dhoni leading the franhise, More said the youngster should have picked up a few things about leadership from the great man himself.
“He’s (Gaikwad) playing under MS Dhoni, so he must have learnt things about handling the team and handling the situations. He’s a quality player, and I’m waiting for him to make his Test debut,” More said.
Another former India selector Saba Karim though feels that Gaikwad first has to establish himself in the national setup as there are several players who are waiting for their chance.
“Yashasvi scored a hundred on Test debut, then smashed a half-century during the T20I series against West Indies as well. Things are not easy for him, because there are several cricketers waiting for Ruturaj Gaikwad to fail so they can get a look-in. This is when your character has to come out, can you take that pressure? That is why this is a phase where he has to rely on his ability and try to put a big score,” Karim said.
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