How next 11 months can make Rohit Sharma a bigger captain than MS Dhoni in Indian cricket?

Add as a preferred source on Google

Rohit Sharma has already proved his mettle as the captain of the Indian cricket team. He has carried his success in the IPL as five-time title-winning captain of the Mumbai Indians into the Indian cricket team.

19 World Cup matches and just one defeat speaks volumes about the captaincy standards of the 37-year-old, who took charge of the Indian white-ball teams after the T20 World Cup 2021. In early 2022, he was given the Test captaincy as well and he became the all-format leader of the Indian cricket team.

After India suffered a 10-wicket hammering against England in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final, Rohit Sharma could not digest the nature of the defeat and declared that India would change their style of play, and take a more attacking route. The captain showed the way and led from the front.

His strike rate of 125.94 in ODI World Cup 2023 was a story in itself. The valiant captain led India to the final unbeaten. The Men in Blue suffered a heartbreak defeat in the final against Australia, but many acknowledged them as the true champions, who just had an unlucky off day.

The brand of cricket India was playing under Rohit was certainly going to land them an ICC trophy, and the 11-year drought ended when India lifted the T20 World Cup Trophy unbeaten in Barbados on June 29. They sent Australia packing, and then hammered England to avenge their 2022 defeat.

Having already celebrated his 37th birthday in April this year, what's next for Rohit Sharma? Had he won that ODI World Cup in 2023, his stature as a captain in Indian cricket would be no lesser, but can he still catch up with the big man?

The answer is a definite 'Yes'. In fact, he could be bigger. The next 11 months can make Rohit Sharma immortal as a captain. A Test series win in Australia will make him only the third captain after Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane to achieve the feat. He will surely get bonus points for cutting out the law of average and making it three in a row down under.

The Champions Trophy 2025 will give Rohit Sharma the chance to lay his hands on a second ICC trophy. The icing on the cake will be if India play their matches in Pakistan, and lift the trophy in Pakistan.

Further, India will very likely be giving a third shot at the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) trophy in June 2025 at Lord's. India lost in their second attempt under Rohit, and the Mumbaikar would be aiming to cross the hurdle this time. He will have the chance to become the first Indian captain to lift the WTC title. Also, winning the Champions Trophy and WTC final will bring Rohit at par with Dhoni's tally of three ICC titles as Team India captain.

Further, India will be playing a five-Test series in England right after the WTC final. India narrowly failed to win their first Test series after 2007 in their last Test series in England, and settled for a 2-2 draw. The tour will give Rohit another opportunity to enrich and immortalise his captaincy resume.

The 11-month journey starts with the first Test against Bangladesh tomorrow (Thursday, September 19) in Chennai. WTC table-toppers will be aiming to win the two-Test series and solidify their position at the top of the WTC 2023-25 standings.