What to expect from Rohit Sharma's captaincy?
What's the story
Virat Kohli has done a great job as the captain of the Indian cricket team so far.
Having played a long home season, Kohli has now been rested for the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
In Kohli's absence, opener Rohit Sharma has been bestowed with the task of leading the team for the first time.
Let us decode what to expect from his captaincy.
Born leader
India dominate under Kohli's captaincy
With Kohli at the helm of affairs, Indian team has won 20 out of the 31 Tests and lost just 3.
Kohli's record in limited overs cricket is phenomenal as well, winning 33 of the 43 ODIs and 6 out of the 10 T20Is.
He has also brought in a new 'aggressive brand of cricket', similar to that of Australia.
Captain cool?
IPL's most successful captain
While Virat Kohli is a swashbuckling captain, Rohit is a calm and composed captain similar to MS Dhoni.
He may have been handed over the captaincy of the national team for the first time, but his IPL captaincy record is staggering.
After all, he is the tournament's most successful captain, leading Mumbai Indians to 3 titles with a 60% win rate.
Perfect mentor
Dhoni's guidance could groom Rohit
Rohit's demeanor is similar to that of Dhoni on the field and with the former captain beside him for assistance, this series should not be a tough task for the Mumbai man.
Sri Lanka have lost their status as a cricket powerhouse which would make Rohit's task a tad bit simpler. Leading the national side would be a great experience for Rohit Sharma.
Under the scanner
Consistency is key to good captaincy
Rohit is already used to taking additional responsibility on the field, but IPL and international cricket are very different.
There is no doubt about the 30-year-old's ability as a cricketer but Rohit is sometimes guilty of being an erratic performer. At times, he has also shown he is complacent on the field. This needs to change if he has to perform as a captain.
The unpredictable
Doesn't deserve the criticism he gets
This might be the first time, Sharma has been handed over the captaincy of the national team but we expect him to rise to the occasion. He has already proved his doubters wrong when he made a fantastic comeback with 102* in the Nagpur Test.
We won't be surprised if he goes on to do it again as the ODI captain.