3 things that changed after Virat Kohli stepped down from India's Test captaincy
On January 15, 2022, Virat Kohli stepped down as Team India’s Test captain, bringing an end to his stint as a leader across formats. He had earlier quit the T20 captaincy after the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Subsequently, he was sacked as India’s ODI skipper as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wanted one white-ball captain for both limited-overs formats.
Kohli’s decision to quit the Test captaincy came after India lost the three-match series in South Africa 2-1, going down in disappointing fashion after having won the first Test in Centurion. Under him, India registered their maiden red-ball series win in Australia and also became the top-ranked side in Test cricket. Kohli also led India to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC), where they went down to New Zealand.
Statistically, the 34-year-old is India’s most successful Test captain. He led the nation in 68 Tests, out of which India won 40 and lost 17, giving him a win percentage of 58.82.
It’s been a year since Kohli announced his decision to step down as Test captain. On this occasion, we analyze three things that have changed in Indian cricket over the last 12 months.
#1 Virat Kohli rediscovered his white-ball form!
The biggest development in Indian cricket since Kohli quit the Test captaincy has been the man himself rediscovering his form, especially in white-ball cricket. The right-handed batter took a short break from the game after a forgettable England tour and came back with renewed vigor.
The former captain was the second-leading run-getter in the Asia Cup, hammering 276 runs in six matches at an average of 92 and a strike rate of 147.59. During the tournament, he also ended his century drought, which lasted over 1000 days, smashing a scintillating ton against Afghanistan.
Kohli carried his great form into the T20 World Cup as well Down Under, where he was the leading run-getter with 296 runs in six matches at an average of 98.67 and a strike rate of 136.41. His heroic knock of 82* off 53 balls against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where he lifted India to victory from nowhere, was described by many experts as the knock of the World Cup.
Towards the end of 2022, Kohli also registered his first ODI ton since August 2019, scoring 113 against Bangladesh in Chattogram. He followed it up with a century in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, his second consecutive three-figure score in the format.
Looking forward to see Virat Kohli raising bat for his century in Test cricket.
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Kohli, however, continued to struggle in the Test format, even after quitting the captaincy. He managed a highest score of 45 in five Tests. This is an anomaly he will be keen to correct in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
#2 Musical chairs began for India’s captaincy
As mentioned earlier, Kohli was sacked as the ODI skipper because the Indian cricket board wanted one leader for both white-ball formats. However, once Kohli left the Test captaincy, stability with regard to leadership went out of the window, irrespective of the format.
It all began in South Africa itself as KL Rahul was named captain for the ODI series after newly-appointed skipper Rohit was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. An unsettled India were whitewashed 0-3, and the series set the tone for the team’s uncertainty with regard to captaincy.
With Rohit rested for the South Africa T20Is at home in June, Rahul was named captain. But he was ruled out on the eve of the series and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant ended up leading the side. Hardik Pandya was then named captain for the T20Is in Ireland, while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah led in the rescheduled Test against England in Birmingham as Rohit contracted COVID-19.
Shikhar Dhawan, who has not been picked for the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka, led the team during the ODIs on the West Indies tour in July and again in New Zealand towards the end of the year. He was earlier named captain for the ODI tour of Zimbabwe as well, but Rahul was later appointed as the skipper after being added to the squad.
#3 Too many injury woes gripped Indian cricket
It may only be a coincidence, but the fact remains that Indian cricket has suffered innumerable injury woes over the last 12 months since Kohli stepped down as Test captain. The man himself, known as one of the fittest in the business, has had no such issues.
Ironically, the Indian management gave multiple breaks to key players, yet they ended up at the NCA more often for rehabilitation than on the cricket ground. It all began with newly-appointed all-format captain Rohit, who has perhaps missed more games than he has played since being named full-time leader. In a somewhat fitting end to 2022, Rahul led the team in the third ODI as well as the Test series in Bangladesh in injured Rohit’s absence.
Pace spearhead Bumrah has been suffering from a back injury for the last few months. He missed the Asia Cup and the World Cup. He was belatedly added to the Indian team for the ODIs against Sri Lanka but was ruled out again as a precautionary measure. He is not part of India’s squad for the first two Tests against Australia as well.
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All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been out since suffering a freak knee injury during the Asia Cup. He has been recalled for the first two Tests against the Aussies, but his availability remains subject to fitness. Pacer Deepak Chahar has been constantly in and out of the white-ball squads due to his injury woes.
Injuries are part and parcel of the sport. However, the situation was nowhere near this bad when Kohli, who placed a lot of emphasis on fitness, was in charge.
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