West Indies legend identifies who should be the next Team India captain after Rohit Sharma

Former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop has backed all-rounder Hardik Pandya to become the next captain of the Indian T20I team. Bishop, while speaking on Star Sports, said he was impressed with what Hardik achieved in IPL 2022, where he led his team Gujarat Titans to their maiden championship win. Bishop stated that in T20 cricket, teams need a risk-taker and appointing Hardik as India's captain in the shortest format would not be a bad idea.  

"Hardik, I was so impressed with what he did in the IPL. In T20 cricket, successful teams need a risk-taker. Gambler is the wrong word but in keeping with the action format and action captain. So I would say Hardik. I don’t if I have seen enough of Rishabh’s improvement. But he has got personality but if you can make him into one of those, I don’t think it would be a bad idea," Bishop said on Star Sports.

The Indian cricket team suffered a disappointing loss in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022, which saw their campaign end on a sour note. After India's exit from the tournament, questions are being asked about Rohit Sharma's captaincy and his place in the Indian T20I team. Among those who want Rohit replaced as captain is West Indies legend Ian Bishop. The former Caribbean star wants Hardik to take over the captaincy of the Indian team going into the T20 World Cup 2024.

Hardik's captaincy record at a glance

Hardik was phenomenal as captain of Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022. He performed well with both the bat and ball and also did some good captaincy to eventually help his team lift the title. Gujarat Titans were one of the two new teams added to the IPL roster late last year. Gujarat won the IPL title in its maiden season under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya. 

After his impressive performance in the IPL, Hardik was made the stand-in captain of the Indian T20I team for their two-match series against Ireland. India won both matches to win the series 2-0. Hardik has now been named the captain of the Indian team for their upcoming T20I series against New Zealand. The three-match contest is scheduled to begin on November 18. 

Image: BCCI