With India set to take on Sri Lanka on Nov 2, 2023, at Wankhade Stadium, Rohit Sharma, the India captain, will achieve something unique. He will become the first Indian captain to lead the side in front of his home crowd at an ODI World Cup. In that context, let’s have a look at the captaincy journeys of those cricketers who had led India in previous World Cups held on the subcontinent.
Kapil Dev (1987)
India made it to the semi-final of the Reliance World Cup in 1987, losing to England in Mumbai. During the tournament, they played their matches in Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Nagpur. No India game was played in Chandigarh, which was Kapil Dev’s hometown.
Mohammed Azharuddin (1996)
During the 1996 World Cup, India played matches at Cuttack, Gwalior, Mumbai, Delhi, Kanpur, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Azharuddin led the Indian side into semis and a traumatic loss to Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Azhar’s hometown of Hyderabad didn’t get to host any India matches.
MS Dhoni (2011)
After a gap of nearly three decades, India won the World Cup for the second time in 2011, beating Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in Mumbai. Their matches were played in Dhaka, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Mohali and Mumbai. No India matches were played in Ranchi, MS Dhoni’s hometown.
Rohit Sharma (2023)
India’s 2023 World Cup journey has already taken in Chennai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Pune, Dharamsala and Lucknow, with Kolkata and Bengaluru also part of the league schedule. But it’s this current halt in Mumbai that will see Rohit lead the men in blue in his home ground at the Wankhede Stadium.