'There are Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul' - Ravi Shastri suggests captaincy prospects

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri indicated the names of future captaincy options for India, saying that the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season could bring more light on the topic.

As Virat Kohli is no longer India's captain in any format, Rohit Sharma has been given command of the team. Although Rohit has been giving good results as a skipper, his age would force the selectors to constantly look for his successor till they find a suitable option.

Speaking upon the same, Shastri mentioned the names Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. Notably, all these players would be seen leading their respective franchises in the upcoming edition of the IPL.

"Virat is not being captain anymore, but Rohit has also been outstanding, especially in white ball. India will be looking at who will be captaining the team (in future) — there are Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul," Shastri said during a press conference on Tuesday.

"India will be looking for a solid captain for the future and here is the opportunity," he added.

Citing Venkatesh Iyer's example, the World Cup-winning cricketer added that IPL brings many opportunities along with itself.

“… That is the beauty of the IPL, last IPL we saw Venkatesh Iyer, no one had heard of him and by the time it got over he was in the Indian team. So you expect the unexpected."

Further, Shastri commented on Hardik Pandya, who would be returning to competitive cricket after the 2021 T20 World Cup. Hardik had been suffering from a lower-back injury for quite some time now and doubts still remain on his bowling.

"The whole county would be very closely watching Hardik Pandya in the IPL, we all know what he is capable of," Shastri asserted.

With the next T20 World Cup in October in Australia, fast bowlers would be closely observed, stated Shastri.

"One thing I can say is that they would be watching the fast bowling department more than anything else as they are going to Australia in four months’ times after the IPL.

"I would rather focus on players who have been just given the opportunity and how they do in IPL…. Now it will be important to see how these players perform in the IPL and strengthen their positions," the 59-year-old said.

As two new teams- Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans are about to debut, the competition this year will go a notch up.

"Competition will be terrific this time, with two new teams coming in... Now there are quite a few teams that will give you a real good run for the money. The mix has been very good and it promises a very strong league," Shastri concluded.

Meanwhile, Star India today announced that Shastri will be returning to the commentary box after a 7-year hiatus. Former India cricketer Suresh Raina has also been included in the commentary panel for IPL 2022.