The BCCI announced Rohit Sharma will replace Virat Kohli as India’s T20 captain when they face New Zealand in a three-day T20 series later this month.
“Named T20I Captain for India,” the BCCI tweeted, as it confirmed the squad for a New Zealand visit.
Kohli announced his retirement from T20I captaincy in September, citing his “immense workload”. He still captains the one-day and Test teams.
Following the World Cup, where India failed to qualify for the semi-finals, former batting legend Rahul Dravid replaced Ravi Shastri as coach for all formats.
Sharma, a right-handed batsman known for his strong hitting, joined the national squad in 2007 and played limited overs cricket until 2013.
Sharma led the Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles. They have never won the title under Kohli’s leadership.
Kohli was also left out of the T20 team for the New Zealand tour. Neither Mohammed Shami nor Jasprit Bumrah nor bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were selected.
The New Zealand tour starts on November 17 with three T20 games and two Test matches.
Sharma has appeared in 116 T20 internationals, accumulating 3029 runs at an average of 32.
He has 9205 ODI runs and 3047 Test runs at an average of over 47.
India’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup, particularly losses to Pakistan and New Zealand, drew harsh criticism at home.
But Shastri remarked after his final game as coach that the current team was “one of the great cricket teams in history.”
“We may not have won the World Cup, but I believe we will have a good squad in the future since the IPL attracts many young players. Rahul (Dravid) will have his own plans for this team “”Sahstri”
“I think you’ve got a good person in Rohit. So many IPLs. He’s the team’s vice-captain. He’s ready to take that job, “Ayurveda
Kohli said on Monday: “We went out to attain our aim as a team. Sadly, we failed and no one is more unhappy than we are.”
“We appreciate all of your help and support. We shall return stronger and more determined.”
