Here's why Rohit Sharma has been appointed vice-captain of the Indian Test side

Rohit Sharma has made his long-awaited return to international cricket. There were a lot of talks about Rohit and his fitness issues. But now, the Indian batsman is all set to take the field in the New Year’s Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground(SCG).

There was another surprise awaiting the fans when Rohit was elevated to the position of vice-captain for the remainder of the Test series against Australia. With Virat Kohli back in India to be with his family for the birth of his first child, Ajinkya Rahane took over the captaincy reigns. Now, the returning Rohit will be his deputy for the last two Tests.

There could have been the option of giving the mantle of vice-captaincy to the more experienced Cheteshwar Pujara. While Rohit has played just 32 Tests for India, Pujara is a way more experienced campaigner, having worn the whites for his country on 79 occasions. But, a Scroll.in report has revealed that the Hitman was always in contention for the coveted role. In fact, the source further declares that Pujara was only a temporary option and that Rohit’s experience in limited-overs cricket tilted the scales in his favor.

“There was never an iota of doubt about who will be India’s vice-captain once Virat takes a break and Ajinkya is elevated. It was always going to be Rohit and Pujara was just a stop-gap arrangement till the former joined the squad. Rohit has been India’s long-time white ball vice-captain, so it was only imperative that in Virat’s absence, he will be a part of the team’s leadership group,” said a BCCI official.

Rohit Sharma’s excellent record in limited-overs cricket

Rohit was earlier appointed the deputy to batting maestro Virat Kohli in the limited-overs format. In fact, Rohit has also led the Indian side in 10 ODIs and 19 T20Is. And, he has an excellent record when he has captained the national side, winning 8 ODI games and 15 T20Is.

Also, Rohit has been a colossus in IPL cricket, having led the Mumbai Indians side to a staggering 5 title wins. The New Year has started in a scintillating manner for Rohit, as he has not only returned to the playing arena but has also been appointed the vice-captain of the Indian side in the longest format of the game.

The ‘Hitman’ will be hoping that he can get some runs under his belt against a challenging pace attack in Australian conditions when the Third Test gets underway in Sydney on January 7th, 2021.