'Becomes easy if he and Dravid are on same page': Kohli's childhood coach backs Rohit to take India to 'newer heights'

Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has backed Rohit Sharma to take the team to “newer heights” while also admitting that the team has no better contenders than Rohit to take over the reins from Kohli in Test cricket.

After Kohli was removed from ODI captaincy last November, a month after stepping down from the role in T20I cricket, BCCI named Rohit as the new white-ball leader and the vice-captain of the Test side, replacing out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane. With the 33-year-old relinquishing his role in Test cricket as well, earlier this month after the 2-1 series loss in South Africa, Rohit has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Kohli.

Speaking to India News on Kohli’s possible replacement as Test captain, Rajkumar backed Rohit to take the responsibility.

ALSO READ: ‘Believe he will definitely fancy his chances’: Windies great gives his verdict on team’s white-ball series vs India

“I don’t think there is any contender apart from Rohit Sharma because there is no other player whose place is certain in all three formats. So I believe he is the better choice and he has done excellent captaincy in the IPL and whenever he has got a chance for the Indian team. I have full expectation that he will take the Indian team to newer heights,” he said.

Other contenders include KL Rahul, who had led the Indian team in the Johannesburg Test and in the three-match ODI series in South Africa, and two inexperienced options in Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah.

The former cricketer also threw his opinion on India’s team selection for the West Indies series at home saying that it helps ease the process of picking players if both head coach Rahul Dravid and Rohit are on the same page, which he feels will happen.

“Every captain has his own choice and every captain desires to get the players he wants and generally that happens as well. It becomes easy if Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid are on the same page, if the captain and coach want a particular team, the selectors feel it right to give them that team. This should happen also and I feel that will happen as well,” he added.

India will next take on West Indies at home in a limited-overs series comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is, starting February 6.

Sign on to read the HT ePaper epaper.hindustantimes.com