Rohit Sharma becomes India’s captain across all white-ball cricket, succeeding Virat Kohli as ODI skipper, and will also also be Kohli’s deputy in Test cricket; India next in action against South Africa from Boxing Day as three-Test series begins, live on Sky Sports
Last Updated: 08/12/21 5:22pm
Rohit Sharma has succeeded Virat Kohli as India’s one-day international captain and will now lead the side across all white-ball cricket.
Kohli led India in all three formats until the Twenty20 World Cup last month, after which he relinquished the 20-over role to fellow batter Rohit.
Rohit has now taken on the 50-over role, too, and will skipper his country in the 2023 World Cup on home soil.
Rohit, 34, has also replaced Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain of the Test side.
Rahane is part of the 18-member squad that will travel to South Africa for three Tests, starting at Centurion on Boxing Day, but has averaged below 20 in 12 Tests in 2021 so far.
Rohit, who was rested for the recent 1-0 home series against New Zealand returns to the Test side for the South Africa series, as do fellow opener KL Rahul, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and seamers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.
Batter Shubman Gill and spin-bowling all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel miss out with injuries from a series that will be shown live on Sky Sports Cricket.
India Test squad for South Africa series: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj