Leg and Off: Who should lead India in the ODI series vs England if Rohit Sharma is rested?

Team India are set for a major overhaul across formats, and while the transition has worked seamlessly in T20Is, there is still a lot of friction regarding the longer formats. The implications of a disastrous Border-Gavaskar series may well seep into the upcoming white-ball series against England, with several senior players set to be given a rest.

Among those is skipper Rohit Sharma, who had a demoralizing tour of Australia. He was far from the mark with the bat as well as a leader. Team India, and the majority of seniors, have not been involved too much in ODI cricket since the 2023 World Cup. It largely boils down to the tight schedule, but India do not have a proper avenue to prepare for the Champions Trophy.

In the event that Rohit Sharma is rested for the upcoming ODI series against England, India have the depth to replace him at the top of the order on a short-term basis. However, they are not spoilt for choices as far as readymade captaincy candidates are concerned.

On that note, let us take a look into the best and worst of all the potential prospects India can name as captain for the England ODI series.

#1 Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya is potentially the candidate with the most white-ball captaincy experience outside of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the current setup. He used to lead India on a regular basis in T20Is after the 2022 T20 World Cup, and has been captaining in the IPL regularly for the last three years.

In the past, he has stepped in as captain of the ODI side in Rohit Sharma's absence. In three ODIs he has captained, India have won twice and lost once.

However, he has not played the format since the 2023 ODI World. To thrust him back into the setup, and put up the captaincy tag right away will not be fair on the all-rounder. Moreover, ousting him from the T20I captaincy and then rewarding him with the ODI leadership, even on an interim basis, is bound to send mixed signals.

Pandya does share a good rapport with the majority of the squad and earns respect as a commanding leader, but there is little evidence to suggest that India will pursue a route in reverse.

#2 Shubman Gill

India's leadership pet project, Shubman Gill had a meteoric rise after pipping several senior members to be named vice-captain on the tour of Sri Lanka. He also led the team during the tour of Zimbabwe after a relatively promising first year as captain of the Gujarat Titans (GT).

However, his stock has fallen considerably in recent times due to his performances with the bat. The youngster had a dreadful tour of Sri Lanka, a mixed home season, and a nightmarish tour of Australia, which leaves him in a rather vulnerable state.

Not only will there be a significant backlash if he is entrusted with the captaincy, but it will be a tough task for him to balance the additional role along with his poor form. At the moment, India need runs from him, more than his leadership, and measures must be taken to get him into the right zone of calm to perform, rather than burden him with additional responsibility.

#3 KL Rahul

India have gone down this rabbit hole before, got out of it, and have dived in again. Rahul has been India's vice-captain across formats on an on-and-off basis. The management have leaned on him a lot in the past, resulting in him leading India across 12 ODIs in the space of two years.

Although his captaincy stint began with a 0-3 whitewash to South Africa, it has improved with time. Since then, the Men in Blue have only lost one ODI under his leadership. He led the team to successive wins in the bilateral series against Australia, as well as a series win in South Africa.

An assignment against England is arguably the next logical step in his journey as a captain, even though there is no guarantee that he may end up with the role on a full-time basis after the transition.

Rahul is also one of the most experienced leaders in the Indian setup, having led in the IPL since 2020. With him being the backbone of the middle-order at present, and the first-choice wicket-keeper, he is arguably the most reliable name India can turn to, with the long-term prospect being dealt with later on.

#4 Left-field options

Apart from the names that have led in the past, India do have some additional options, which are unlikely to be chosen, but worth exploring.

Shreyas Iyer is in line for a comeback following his blockbuster domestic season for Mumbai. He is currently leading Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy with immense success. The batter had led the domestic side to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy recently, and had also guided the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the title in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL).

Despite being a credible captain for a long period, he has not received the opportunity to lead the national side. With runs now under his belt, and the No. 4 spot for the taking yet again, he can be considered a leadership option, at least temporarily.

Rishabh Pant is another name whose captaincy journey has been up and down. He was the Delhi Capitals (DC) captain for the entire previous cycle, and even led India during the home T20I series against South Africa in 2022.

However, with Rahul still being a first-choice wicket-keeper in the setup and Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja serving as the all-rounders, there will be question marks over Pant's position in the playing XI. He was named in the squad for the Sri Lanka ODIs, but only played one match, where he scored six runs. He brings a lot of value as a left-handed batter, and his aggressive playing style, but he has not been consistent enough to be an outright starter.

Virat Kohli is unlikely to return in a full-time leadership capacity with the national team at this stage of his career, while Bumrah is certain to miss the series after a gruelling campaign in Australia.