“Any player scores 2-3 hundreds, talks begin about him being future India captain” - Gautam Gambhir urges fans to stop speculation about leadership

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has urged fans to stop speculations and discussions over the team’s possible future captains. According to Gambhir, such debates put unnecessary pressure on the players and do not allow them to enjoy the game completely.

Rohit Sharma is currently leading India in the 2023 World Cup at home. He has done a commendable job as captain, with the Men in Blue winning all their eight matches in the league stage so far, most of them in dominant fashion.

At 36, though, one is unsure how long the veteran batter can continue as batter and leader. In a Q&A session on Sportskeeda’s YouTube channel, Gambhir was asked who, according to him, could be Rohit’s successor.

The former India opener, however, opined that this is not the right time to discuss the matter.

“This is a massive problem in India. A captain is performing so well, but we already talking about the youngsters who are performing well, stating that he could be the next India captain. This question should not be raised. Why? Do you have to decide from now itself who should be the next Indian captain," he questioned.

"We talk about Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant being groomed. Have you ever thought how much pressure they must be under? If you groom them and they don’t perform well for six to 12 months, would you look at someone else?” Gambhir commented.

Stating that a decision on Rohit’s replacement as captain can be taken once his tenure ends, the 42-year-old downplayed needless chats around India’s leadership.

“Any player scores 2-3 hundreds, and talks begin about him being the future India captain. If he has 10 poor games and someone else does well, then he is spoken about as India’s future captain. This has been happening for years. I want to urge the fans not to say such things. Let players enjoy the game. The selectors will take the best decision for Indian cricket,” he said.

Apart from impressing as a leader, Rohit has led from the front with the bat as well in the 2023 World Cup. In eight innings, he has smashed 442 runs at an average of 55.25 and a strike rate of 122.78.

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“The best player is not necessarily the best captain” - Gautam Gambhir

Elaborating on his views on leadership, Gambhir stated that the best player in the team is not the best captain by default. The former India opener stressed that there are multiple qualities needed to succeed as a captain at the top level.

“If Gill does well for five-seven years, he will automatically become an option. Same with Pant or any other youngster. Captaincy is not just about scoring runs. The one who scores the most runs is not the best captain. Captaincy is about how you carry yourself, your vision, your aura, your attitude and what you think about the game. The best player is not necessarily the best captain,” Gambhir concluded.

While Rohit has been leading India in Tests and ODIs, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has captained the side in a number of T20Is following the 2022 T20 World Cup.