India tour of Australia: Kohli not bad captain, but Rohit is better, says Gambhir

Bengaluru, November 24: Former Indian cricketer turned politician Gautam Gambhir has said that current captain Virat Kohli is not a bad captain, but his deputy Rohit Sharma is better in the role.

Gambhir, who has been pretty vocal against Kohli as a captain especially due to the current Indian skipper's inability to win an Indian Premier League title with Royal Challengers Bangalore, has once again voiced his opinion on team India's captaincy.

"Virat Kohli is not a bad captain, but Rohit Sharma is a better captain. There is a vast difference between the quality of captaincy," said Gambhir on the Star Sports show Cricket Connected.

With five titles to his name, Mumbai Indians captain Rohit is the most successful captain in the history of the IPL while RCB skipper Kohli has failed to win the title even once. The team's best finish in the league since he took over as captain in 2013 has been runners-up in 2016.

Gambhir added that the difference between Kohli and Rohit's record in the IPL needs to be taken into account especially when the performance in the league is considered as a criterion for selection of batsmen and bowlers.

"If we choose players based on IPL performance, then why don't we choose a captain based on IPL performance? Else, don't keep IPL has a barometer for batting and bowling performances as well," said Gambhir.

The debate on team India's captaincy has been a hot topic since the conclusion of IPL 2020. However, there have been mixed responses to the calls for a split captaincy from former India cricketers.

(With Agency inputs)