3 Players Who Can Replace Rohit Sharma As Captain Against Australia in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

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The Indian cricket team faces a potential leadership challenge ahead of their highly-anticipated five-match Test series against Australia. It has been reported that captain Rohit Sharma may miss one of the first two Tests in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT), set to start on November 22 at Perth’s Optus Stadium.

According to reports by the Press Trust of India (PTI), Rohit has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he might miss either the series opener or the second Test, scheduled for December 6 in Adelaide, due to personal reasons. While there’s still a possibility that Rohit Sharma could play all five Tests, the team needs to prepare for a potential stand-in captain.

Let’s look at three players who could take on the captaincy if Rohit Sharma misses the opener:

1. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill has established himself as one of India’s top performers in Test cricket. His recent leadership roles add to his credentials—Gill captained India in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe and was named vice-captain for the ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka. Gill also led a team in the 2024 Duleep Trophy, showing the selectors are grooming him for bigger leadership roles. Hence, he could replace Rohit Sharma as the captain in the series opener . 

2. Rishabh Pant

The young wicketkeeper-batter, who was previously seen as a future Test captain, looked sharp in his red-ball comeback after 21 months. With his calm and fearless style of play, Pant has always been a natural leader on the field.

Pant has experience leading India, having captained the T20I side in a five-match series against South Africa in 2022. With his energy and game awareness, Pant could be an exciting choice to lead the team in Rohit’s absence, especially in a high-stakes series like the BGT.

3. KL Rahul

KL Rahul is another strong contender for captaincy, with a proven record in overseas conditions. The 30-year-old opener has excelled in Australia in the past, and his leadership experience is extensive. Rahul has captained India in several formats, including leading the Test side during the 2021 South Africa series, where he guided India to a historic victory. Hence, Rahul could be a safe choice for the team management to lead the side in the BGT opener. His familiarity with the Australian pitches and his leadership qualities make him a strong candidate to replace Rohit. 

Read Original Content: 3 Players Who Can Replace Rohit Sharma As Captain Against Australia in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

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