Despite the Indian cricket team’s failure to win any ICC trophy since 2013, there is no denying the fact that the current Indian team is one of the best ever sides that have ever been produced. The back-to-back Test series wins against Australia in their own backyard is one of the biggest highlights of the team’s dominant run in the last few years, and this trend is expected to continue in the future as well because of the talent Indian cricket is producing.
At present, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja are not just the best Indian players, but also amongst the top cricketers in the world. But some years from now, their time will be up and a new group of players will take their place.
The transition period of Indian cricket will see the likes of KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, and Hardik Pandya take the lead roles.
And among these, Rishabh Pant, KL, Shreyas, and Hardik are already leading their respective teams in the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Their individual as well as the team’s performance in the league over the next few years will determine who’s going to succeed Rohit as the next captain because all these candidates are in the line.
And former South African skipper Graeme Smith, who is currently the Director of Cricket for the South African national team, has reserved special praise for Indian wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant, who he believes is going to have a bright future ahead.
“I can’t see Rishabh Pant missing out, despite the likes of Samson, DK and Kishan doing well. Ultimately, it will come down to combinations. Who gets picked will depend on the conditions and who they are coming up against… Pant has to be there. You can’t leave out Pant. He is going to play all formats for India for a very long time. He’s going to be a superstar,” Smith told Cricket.com.
The 41-year-old is very impressed with the Delhi Capitals’ skipper’s leadership skills but feels his batting can be utilised to the fullest if he promotes himself in the top order.
“Rishabh has got starts in every game, but everyone needs to be patient. The strike rate hasn’t quite happened yet, but everyone needs to be patient. Today, DC needed to rebuild after losing a couple of wickets, but the strong finish never came.” Smith pointed out that they needed to get to a total of 170-180.
“Maybe the way forward is to promote Rishabh. Get him up to No. 3 and take the pressure off him and give him more time. Maybe this way, he’ll be able to set the tone and not think too much. “
