Rohit Sharma can be relieved from T20I captaincy to manage workload better: Virender Sehwag

Former India opener Virender Sehwag said Rohit Sharma's workload needs to be managed, considering the star batter's age. Rohit took over as all-format captain earlier this year.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag said it's important that Indian team management and selectors find ways to manage Rohit Sharma's workload better, considering the 35-year-old is leading the team across all 3 formats of the game.

Virender Sehwag suggested that Rohit Sharma can be relieved as captain from the shortest format of the game, adding it would allow the star batter to take breaks and be rejuvenated for Tests and ODIs.

Notably, Rohit Sharma took over from Virat Kohli as India's T20I captain after the former skipper decided to step down last year. Kohli had announced well before the T20 World Cup in UAE that he would quit T20I captaincy to focus on ODI and Test cricket.

While the BCCI senior selection committee had no second thoughts about appointing Rohit as T20i captain, they also sacked Kohli as the ODI captain and handed over the reins of the white-ball teams to the Mumbai Indians skipper.

In an unforeseen move, Kohli quit as Test captain earlier this year after a Test series defeat in South Africa following which the Test captaincy also went to Rohit. Questions were asked of Rohit's appointment as all-format captain, considering his fitness concerns over the last few years but chief selector Chetan Sharma stressed it was a long-term appointment.

“If the Indian team management has someone else in mind as captain in the T20 format, then I think, Rohit (Sharma) could be relieved and the following can be taken into consideration going forward,” Sehwag told the Press Trust of India.

“One, that would allow Rohit to manage his workload and mental fatigue, given his age.