Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma Pair Is Similar To Kumar Sangakkara And Mahela Jayawardene, Feels Salman Butt
Published - 18 Sep 2021, 01:24 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:53 AM
Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt termed the pair of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the similar ranks of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
On Thursday, Indian skipper Virat Kohli announced that he would step down from India’s T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup in November.
Rohit Sharma likely to take over India’s T20I captaincy from Virat Kohli
Since Kohli revealed his decision on his Twitter account, there has been a lot of buzz regarding his timing of announcement with fans and experts are divided with different theories.
Rohit Sharma, who is India’s white-ball vice-captain, could likely be the potential successor of Kohli and pundits have already suggested the Indian opener’s name based on his IPL performance with Mumbai Indians.
Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma are like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene: Salman Butt
Former Sri Lankan cricketers Sangakkara and Jayawardene made a great combination on the field during their playing days and were well recognised for their amicable relationship.
Butt feels that Kohli and Rohit are similar to that of the Sri Lankan duo and the former Pakistan player also feel Kohli quitting the T20I captaincy won’t affect India.
“Kohli has done wonderfully well and India has an able replacement (Rohit Sharma possibly). So Kohli quitting should not adversely affect India in any way. It is a very calculated decision,” Butt said on his Youtube channel.
“Kohli and Rohit are like the Jayawardene and Sangakkara of Sri Lanka. The captaincy switched between them but they worked together and took decisions as one. Similarly, I don’t think there should be an issue if Rohit takes over from Kohli in T20 cricket. They can work well as a team,” he added.
Rohit Sharma has led India in some tournaments in Kohli’s absence like in the Nidahas trophy in 2018 when they played Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in a T20I tri-series.
India won the series, which was the Mumbai player’s first big achievement as India’s captain and in the same year the Indian team won Asia Cup in UAE under Rohit’s leadership.
