Gautam Gambhir has backed Rohit Sharma to lead India in the T20 World Cup if he is in good touch and also said one loss in the World Cup final doesn’t make him a bad captain.
“If Rohit Sharma is in good form, he should be leading in the T20 World Cup or if he is not in good form, whoever is not in good form should not be picked for the T20 World Cup,” Gambhir told ANI.
“Captaincy is a responsibility. First, you get yourself selected as a player and then you’re made captain.
“A captain should have a permanent position in the playing eleven, and the permanent place depends on the form,” he said.
Rohit, 36, has not played in the T20 cricket for India since the 2022 World Cup semifinal loss against England.
However, Gambhir feels age should not be consider to pick and drop a cricketer.
“Age should not be the criteria why a player should be dropped or picked, only form should be the criteria,” he said.
“Retirement is also an individual decision, no one can force him (a player) to retire, selectors have all the right not to pick them but ultimately one cannot take a bat or ball away from a player. Form is the topmost priority,” he added.
Gambhir has also praised Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
“In captaincy, Rohit has done a very, very good job,” he said.
“It is not easy to win five IPL trophies. The way India have dominated in the last 50-over World Cup and I said that before the World Cup final as well…I said that irrespective of the result, whatever the result is after the World Cup, India played like a champion side.
“One bad game doesn’t make Rohit Sharma or this side a bad team. Ten games and the way they have dominated the whole tournament. Just because of one bad game if you call Rohit Sharma a bad captain, this is not fair.”