India vs New Zealand 2021: Rohit Sharma sees no change in Virat Kohli’s role in the team

India’s new T20I captain Rohit Sharma sees no change in Virat Kohli’s role as a batsman in the new set-up and expects his predecessor to continue the impressive run. Kohli has relinquished his T20 captaincy and with the first T20 International against New Zealand on Wednesday, Rohit will be the full-time captain in the shortest format ahead of next year’s World Cup.

When asked how he understood the role of the former captain, Rohit was precise in his reply. “It is very simple. Whatever he has been doing so far, his role in this team remains the same,” the Indian skipper said ahead of the first T20 International against the Black Caps.

“He is a very important player for the team and whenever he plays, he makes an impact. From the team’s point of view he is an important player and when you play every match the roles are different.”

The new captain insisted that the roles of each player vary according to the circumstances of the match and that all players, including Kohli, are ready for the same. “When you are batting first, the role is different than when you are batting second. The roles will keep changing depending on the game we are playing and everyone is up for it. The kind of experience Kohli brings to the T20 set-up will add to his strength.”