3 reasons why Rohit Sharma should replace Virat Kohli as Indian captain in white-ball cricket
India recently endured a heart-breaking defeat in the semi-finals of World Cup 2019 as the Virat Kohli-led side went down to New Zealand. The loss sparked widespread discussions regarding some of the decisions taken by Indian team management.
In cricket, it is often said a captain is as good as his team but the reality is, the captain generally has a major say on the team composition. From selection decisions to on field tactics, the captain has a major say in all of those.
Virat Kohli has an excellent record as captain of India and has brought many accolades in Tests and one could argue that one close defeat in a knockout game shouldn't lead to a change in captaincy, but the hard fact is, in all his years as captain in white ball cricket, he has no major trophy to show for.
India's selection in the recent times, be it squad selection or playing 11, has lacked consistency. Last year, Virat famously announced "We've found our no. 4 for the World Cup" referring to Ambati Rayudu, who after being backed till the last series India played, was dropped for the World Cup.
India tried more than 10 players for the No.4 spot but could not settle on a single one. There was uncertainty with respect to the batting positions of the players leading up to the World Cup which, in the end, hurt India's chances at the event.
Virat Kohli for all his success in bilateral matches has never been as convincing a captain in white ball cricket, chopping and changing the playing 11 almost every game, making decisions which have not paid any dividends, like the decision of backing Kedar Jadhav and playing him consistently for three years, and then suddenly dropping him at the business end of the World Cup.
These instances are a part of a larger group of decisions which have been questionable and calls for a leadership change in Indian Cricket. Right now, the best man for the job could be Rohit Sharma.
Here are the 3 reasons why Rohit Sharma should replace Virat Kohli as Indian captain in white-ball cricket.
#3 Excellent Record as Captain
Rohit Sharma has an excellent record as captain, having led the Mumbai Indians to a record four titles in seven years as captain. He has appeared very calm while leading the franchise and has the respect of all the players. Also, he has led India to victories in Nidahas Trophy and Asia Cup and has 8 wins in 9 ODIs as India Captain.
Rohit's tactical acumen and understanding of the game is second to none, his decision to bowl Lasith Malinga in the final of IPL 2019, even though the pacer was expensive, proved to be the game-changer.
As a captain, he has looked at ease every time he has been handed the responsibility, and the burden of captaincy doesn't seem to affect his batting as well. Also, he has an excellent record as a captain in knockouts.
On the other hand, Kohli does not have a single trophy as captain of India and RCB. Having reached the knockouts of major tournaments a number of times, the teams led by Virat have often failed to cross the line, almost choking at the final hurdle.
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