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The challenge for India captain Rohit Sharma is managing players amid a grueling schedule: Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar, a legendary Indian batsman, said Rohit Sharma’s biggest challenge as an all-format captain will be ensuring the players are always mentally and physically at their best despite a hectic schedule. Rohit, who took over as India’s T20I and ODI captain following the T20 World Cup last year, was named Test captain last week.
Rohit has emphasised the importance of striking the right balance between providing opportunities to players and performing well in major tournaments, and Gavaskar believes it is the captain’s and team management’s responsibility to ensure players are prepared for the challenges that come with a “gruelling schedule.”
India, which climbed to No. 1 in the ICC Test rankings after a 3-0 sweep of the West Indies in a T20I series on Sunday, will play Sri Lanka in a three-match series beginning on Thursday. The T20I series will be followed by a two-test series beginning March 4, after which the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will begin in the final week of March.
India will also play T20Is against South Africa, a Test match, and 5 T20Is against England before the T20 World Cup later this year.
“I think the challenge is getting the players to play at their best in terms of mental and physical conditioning because there is so much cricket that not only the Indian team, but international cricket is playing,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.
After two months of IPL, there will be five T20Is against South Africa, followed by a one-off Test in England, then a T20I series there. So, how should the players be managed in terms of form and fitness? That will be the most difficult challenge for Rohit and the team management “He continued.
Rohit has started well as India’s full-time captain, leading the team to 3-0 victories over New Zealand in T20Is and the West Indies in both ODIs and T20Is. When India plays Sri Lanka in a two-match series in March, he will be in charge of the Test team for the fourth time.
