- The day talismanic Virat Kohli announced his decision to step down from the T20 cricket team captaincy, and not from the 50-over format, there were murmurs as to how a split captaincy in the white-ball cricket could be tenable. It was a no-brainer when the Hitman Rohit Sharma was appointed as the T20 captain though. Now, Rohit Sharma is rightfully considered as one of the modern-day great in the shorter formats of the game. No disputing this fact as the mind-blowing statistics against Rohit’s name speaks volumes about his exploits in the formats. Also, incredible captaincy records in the T20 cricket where he has shepherded the Mumbai Indians franchise to five title wins in the extremely competitive Indian Premier League is no mean achievement.
PC: freepik
- As mentioned above, talks were emanating from different quarters as to when and how Virat Kohli would be ceding the captaincy of 50-over side too, but the superstar kept everybody guessing keeping cards close to his heart. As the ensuing South Africa series kept beckoning to clear the captaincy conundrum for the 50-over format, there was no inkling whatsoever from Virat Kohli about his intentions. It appears he was not considering or willing to give up on 50-over captaincy and as such, there were no way selectors would entertain the very idea of splitting the white-ball captaincy between the two stalwarts of Indian cricket.
- Apparently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the national selectors were expecting Virat himself to announce quitting the post making the way for Rohit Sharma to don the role seamlessly. Alas! Nothing works out the way we wish to in real life as certain matters transcend human comprehension leading to unexpected turns. The BCCI announced the appointment of Rohit Sharma as the 50-over captain in a mere sentence prima facie appears one to believe that Virat Kohli has been sacked from the post. In hindsight, the seemingly embarrassing situation could have been avoided altogether.
- Had the BCCI mandarins informed Virat in no uncertain terms about the necessity to have in place one captain for white-ball cricket even if the batsman was inclined to continue in the split roles would have helped greatly. Howsoever great, influential, and pivotal a player might be to the team, the larger interest of the group always takes precedence in deciding any future course of action. Looking from different angles, the captaincy situation could have been handled in a more professional and conducive manner without leaving a bad taste in the mouth. An honorable exit route vis-à-vis Virat himself giving up on the 50-over captaincy upon nudging from the BCCI would have paved way for smooth transitioning.
PC: alliesinteractive
- Now that the decision has been announced, the Board, selection committee, and coach Rahul Dravid, as well as the new captain Rohit Sharma, should handle the situation professionally from now on to ensure the unity of the team prevails over everything else. Mind you, the 2023 50-over World Cup is not too far away. Hopefully, the team under Rohit will be well prepared to mount a serious challenge.
