Ravi Shastri has endorsed Rohit Sharma to take over the captaincy of the India T20 side from Virat Kohli.
Kohli oversaw his last game in charge in the format as India beat Namibia in the T20 World Cup in Dubai on Monday night.
Shastri also ended his own tenure as coach of the side after the game, after four-and-a-half years in charge. He believes India have a ready-made replacement for Kohli.
“In Rohit, you have a very capable guy,” said Shastri, who will be succeeded by Rahul Dravid.
“He has won so many IPLs, he is vice captain of this side. He is ready in the wings to take that job.”
Kohli will stay on in the role of captain of India’s Test and one-day international teams, and Shastri insists the split leadership model can work.
“I think it is not such a bad thing,” Shastri said.
“Because of the bubble, and because of how much cricket is being played, the players need to be rotated and given the space they need to spend some time with their families and see their parents.
“When a guy does not go home for six months, he might have his family with him, but he won’t get chance to see his parents. It is not easy at all.”
Kohli bows out of captaincy with a win
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India captain Virat Kohli embraces Namibia's David Wiese after India win the T20 World Cup match in Dubai on Monday, November 8, 2021. AP -
India batsmen Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul, second right, greet Namibia players after the match in Dubai. AP -
Virat Kohli shakes hands with Suryakumar Yadav after the match. Reuters -
Virat Kohli shakes hands with Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus after India's victory. AFP -
Suryakumar Yadav bats during the T20 World Cup match between India and Namibia. AP -
KL Rahul raises his bat after scoring a half-century against Namibia. AFP -
KL Rahul plays a shot during India's T20 World Cup match against Namibia. Getty Images -
KL Rahul plays a shot against Namibia in Dubai. Reuters -
Suryakumar Yadav plays a shot next to Namibia wicketkeeper Zane Green. AFP -
KL Rahul plays a shot against Namibia. Getty Images -
Namibia's Michael Van Lingen watches the ball run down the field. AP -
Namibia bowler Jan Frylinck celebrates the wicket of Rohit Sharma. Getty -
India fans cheers on their team from the stands. Reuters -
India fans cheer on the team and wave giant flags in the stands. Getty Images -
India's Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul run between the wickets. AFP -
Namibia's David Wiese bats against India. AFP -
India's Jasprit Bumrah in the field during the Namibia innings. Getty Images -
Namibia's Jan Frylinck avoids a bouncer against India. AFP -
India's players celebrate after the dismissal of Namibia's Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton. AFP -
Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja celebrate after the dismissal of Namibia's Stephan Baard. AFP
In the aftermath of a disappointing campaign, which saw them miss out on the knockout phase to Pakistan and New Zealand, Shastri cited bubble fatigue as the reason for India’s underperformance.
“This is not an excuse, this is a fact: there are a lot of players in this team who play all three formats of the game,” Shastri said.
“In the last 24 months, they have been home for 25 days. I don’t care who you are – if your name is Bradman – if you are in a bubble as well your average will come down because you are human.
“It is not the case that you put petrol in the backside and expect the guy to move on in overdrive.
“These are tough times. That’s why I say in life, it’s not what you accomplish, it’s what you overcome. That’s what this team has done.”
The outgoing coach predicted he might be commentating by the time the next T20 World Cup happens next year, and he believes India will be a threat at that competition in Australia.
“We lacked daring in the second game against New Zealand,” he said.
“It is something for the boys to learn, and they will get an opportunity again next year. It is not often you have World Cups within 12 months, so hopefully they will go and kick some butt there.”
New Zealand beat India by 8 wickets
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India's captain Virat Kohli greets New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson defeat in the T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday, October 31, 2021. AP -
New Zealand crushed India at the T20 World Cup on Sunday. AFP -
New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell top-scored for his team in Dubai. AFP -
New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson plays a late cut. AFP -
New Zealand's Ish Sodhi picked up two wickets at the Dubai International Stadium. AFP -
New Zealand's Adam Milne celebrates with Tim Southee after taking the wicket of India's Rishabh Pan. AFP -
New Zealand's Martin Guptill takes the catch of India's Shardul Thakur. AP -
Virat Kohli of India is caught out by Trent Boult as Devon Conway of New Zealand looks on. Getty -
New Zealand players congratulate Ish Sodhi, center, after dismissing India's captain Virat Kohli. AP -
Trent Boult of New Zealand celebrates the wicket of Hardik Pandya. Getty
