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India's new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma has very little time to prove his leadership talent at the international level. Not only the next T20 World Cup is less than a year away followed by the ODI World Cup in 2023, but the Hitman is also older than his predecessor Virat Kohli and his appointment as the skipper is for a short duration.
Yet the availability of Rohit as an alternate option, given his stupendous record with the Mumbai Indians and the limited opportunities with team India, was a big factor in Kohli being shown the exit doors from the ODIs after he had only stepped down as the captain of the T20I format.
And now Rohit has spoken at length about the legacy Kohli has left behind. He added that the team had a great time playing under him and he has put the team in a situation from where there is no looking back. The full interview is available on BCCI TV.
"He's (Virat) put the team in a situation where there is no looking back. Those five years he has led the team, he led from the front every time we stepped onto the park. There was clear grit and determination to win every game. That was the message to the entire squad," said Rohit Sharma.
"We had a great time playing under him. I have played a lot of cricket with him, I have enjoyed each and every moment and I'll still continue to do that. We need to keep getting better as a team and as individuals and that will be the focus not just for me but for the entire squad moving forward," he added.
Rohit's first assignment as a full-time ODI skipper will be the tour of South Africa where the Men in Blue are to play 3 ODIs. But those fixtures will be played only after the Test matches- a format where Kohli continues to lead but Rohit will now be the vice-captain.
India are yet to win a Test series in South Africa but will fancy doing it this time around after having won successive Test series in Australia and taking a lead against England.