Team India is set to leave for England to clash against New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, followed by a five-match red-ball series against the hosts. At the same time, another Indian team will tour Sri Lanka to play three ODIs and as many T20Is against the Lions.
There are speculations among cricket fans as to would lead the second side. Media outlets have also published articles on the need to form another team permanently owing to hindrances in the number of cricket series to be held due to coronavirus pandemic travel restrictions.
In the wake of the demand of an additional Indian skipper, former chief selector Kiran More in an interview, stated that the incumbent captain Virat Kohli might soon hand over the mantle of leading the team in the limited-overs format to veteran opener Rohit Sharma.
“I think the vision of the board drives these things. I believe Rohit Sharma will get a chance soon. Virat Kohli is a shrewd captain who played under MS Dhoni. How long he wants to captain the ODIs and T20s, he will also think. You will learn a lot more about these decisions after the England tour,” More told India TV.
The 58-year-old added that bearing the onus of commanding the side all three formats is an exhausting task, and Kohli might let Rohit take over the team in future.
“Split captaincy can work in India. What the senior players think about the Indian team’s future is very important. With Virat Kohli, captaining three teams isn’t that easy plus he has to perform as well. And I give him the credit for it because performing in every format while captaining and winning… but, I think there will be a time when Virat Kohli will say ‘Now it’s enough, let Rohit lead the side,” More asserted.
Backing his statements, the former Indian wicket-keeper batsman pointed out that these changes would set a ‘precedent’ for the future generations to come as this would be the first instance to have different captains for discrete formats.
“That will be very healthy actually. And this is a huge message for Indian cricket which will go on and on for generations. It’s about respect that if Rohit Sharma is doing good he should be given a chance. I think Virat Kohli will set a great precedent if he does that. The future will hinge on his decision – how much rest he wants, if he wants to captain the Test team or the ODI team. He’s a human too, his mind gets tired also,” More concluded.
Earlier, former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt had opined that the wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant could be successor to Kohli.
