Gautam Gambhir Backs Jaiswal for Future Captaincy Amid Rohit's Struggles

During a recent BCCI review meeting, a number of topics were discussed, one of which was the future of Indian captaincy in Tests and ODIs. Rohit has been facing a lot of criticism since India suffered a 3-1 defeat in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. During the entire series, Rohit could not perform with the bat. Rohit has told the selectors that he will continue as captain until the board appoints his successor. However, according to a report, the selection committee headed by coach Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar has selected Rohit's captaincy options.

The 37-year-old Rohit's form remains a matter of concern for the selectors but he told the selectors that he will fully support his successor. It was then decided that Rohit will continue as the captain in ODIs for the Champions Trophy, while the selectors will decide on the future after the tournament is over. 

A report surfaced on Monday stating that during the review meeting, amid discussions on the possibility of Rohit handing over the captaincy responsibility to Jasprit Bumrah, the need for a strong vice-captain to manage the fast bowler's workload was also discussed. However, when the selectors decided to make Rishabh Pant the next captain in Test cricket, Gambhir backed Yashasvi Jaiswal. 

Pant leads the Delhi team, especially in domestic cricket. In June 2022, Pant captained the Indian team in the home T20I series against South Africa, when designated captain KL Rahul was ruled out of the competition due to injury.