How Rohit Sharma as skipper will benefit Virat Kohli
It was perhaps a decision that came and was seen miles away. Virat Kohli delivered a shocker prior to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 that he would pass the captaincy baton after the marquee tournament.
Rohit Sharma was always the obvious choice and it didn't come as a surprise when he led a young Indian side in their limited-overs scrimmage against the Kiwis.
With the BCCI confirming that Rohit Sharma would now be India's captain in the ODI and T20I formats, there is pretty much some heavy load that's off Kohli's shoulders. He's squatted, benched and deadlifted the country's hopes as skipper and now the hope is that the country's cricket is in capable hands.
That works for Kohli and we explain why.
#1 On-field pressures as captain will be off Virat Kohli's shoulders
Even as skipper, Virat Kohli was no slouch with the bat and the runs speak for themselves. The Delhi batter has racked up 12169 runs from 254 matches, at an impressive average of 59.07 and has 43 tons and 62 fifties to show for.
However, the pressure of leading a star-studded side with the target of winning trophies has impacted several greats of the game. It is not an easy thing to do and Kohli should be all the better for it with the captaincy off his shoulders.
#2 Off-field squad selection and strategy will no longer affect Kohli
The selection of the Team India squad for every tournament involves going through a lot of discussions and analysis. Rather than fine-tuning his batsmanship or spending time with this family, Kohli has had to give a lot of his time and mental space towards ensuring that Team India selections are spot on.
Having to look at multiple analyses of various players across the country performing in various domestic tournaments and then discussing the same with the selectors panel isn't as straight-forward and mentally forgiving as a layman might think it to be.
#3 The freedom to largely pick and choose when to play for Team India
While Kohli has opted out of tourneys at various points in time, even during his captaincy, there have been occasions when he has had to be at the helm, such as against England and Australia. Even during the Covid period, Team India and Kohli had a stacked calendar, including having to play in the bifurcated Indian Premier League (IPL).
Though Kohli is no longer the captain, he continues to hold the mantle of India's premier batsman of this era. It gives him certain leeway to opt out of certain series and tours, while having the reassurance that he would be selected when he returns to the side. His records and performances allow him that luxury.
This would allow him to perform at his best and get back to stacking up the records as he has done over the years. Team India will certainly benefit from a Virat Kohli at his best on the occasions they need him rather than a struggling batsman who is trying to play his back into form all the time.