SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 27: Virat Kohli of India talks to Rohit Sharma of India during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between India and Netherlands at Sydney Cricket Ground on October 27, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested India needs a new T20 captain and should follow England's T20 template to revive their fortunes.
After the men in blue's exit from the T20 World cup semi-finals, fresh talks of a possible T20I captain have risen. However, Rohit Sharma still remains the all-format captain of the Team.
"For T20 cricket, there's no harm in having a new captain because the volume of cricket is such that for one player to play all three formats of the game is never going to be easy," Shastri said during an interaction organised by Prime Video in the lead-up to the 1st T20I between India and New Zealand.
For India's trip to New Zealand, where Shikhar Dhawan will captain the one-day international Team, Hardik Pandya will take command of the T20 squad, Rohit and fellow batsmen Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have been rested.
Shastri has also welcomed the idea of having different captains for different formats, helping the captain and players to concentrate and have clarity.
"Rohit is already leading in one-day and Test matches. There's no harm in identifying a new T20 captain, and if his name is Hardik Pandya, so be it," he said.
The former all-rounder praised England's transformation into a white-ball powerhouse.
"They sat down and said, 'We are going to change our resources, we are going to identify the best players for the format, whether it's T20 or 50-over cricket, and if it meant certain senior players had to sit out, so be it," he said.
"They got in youngsters who were fearless, who could adapt to that game pattern without having to change too much.
"It's a template that can be followed easily. India has a wealth of resources and can start now, from this tour."
In contrast, the Indian team has not been able to utilise the potential of their young players in the last year. BCCI's rotation policy has backfired as they could not prepare a concrete pool of players leading into the side for the next two years.
The Hardik-led Indian team will play the 1st T20I against New Zealand on November 18 at Westpac Stadium, Wellington.