Rohit Sharma has bid farewell to the shortest format of the game after leading India to their second T20 World Cup triumph. The ‘Hitman’ brought down the curtain in a grand fashion as the Men in Blue ended their 11-year-long ICC trophy drought by defeating South Africa by seven runs in a thrilling final.
Rohit’s announcement came at the post-final press conference, shortly after his teammate Virat Kohli also announced his retirement from T20I. The legendary duo of Indian cricket will now focus on the ODI and Test formats, and the void left by them will not be easily filled.
Leading the team from the front as a batter and captain over the years, Rohit has piled up several records in the 20-over format. The veteran opener is currently the all-time highest run-scorer with 4231 runs in 159 matches including a record five centuries. Although it will be difficult to find a suitable replacement for him, the Indian management has created a good bench strength.
Here are three players who could replace Rohit Sharma in T20Is:
3. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Swashbuckling opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has played 19 T20I matches for India so far and has scored 500 runs at an average of 35.71 and a strike rate of 140.06. He has not been consistent for the national team, but is definitely a strong contender for the role given his solid performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and a leadership role with the super-successful Chennai Super Kings franchise.
Gaikwad did not let the pressure affect his batting in his first assignment as captain of the five-time champions. He led the team from the front and finished as the second-highest run-getter in the tournament with 583 runs in 14 matches at an average of 53.00.
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