"I think eventually it will get to a point where you will have to have split captaincy" - Hemang Badani

Former batter Hemang Badani believes that a split captaincy is inevitable with the way Indian cricket is progressing at the moment. Calls to have a separate captain have been rife ever since Team India's semi-final exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

All-rounder Hardik Pandya, who has led Team India on sporadic occasions in 2022 during the absence of Rohit Sharma, arises as the automatic choice for a potential full-time T20I captain should the management take a turn in that direction.

Several believe that the task of leading the national side across all three formats is more than Herculean and the responsibility will have to be shared, especially considering the workload.

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When asked whether the ongoing debate surrounding the split captaincy is valid, Hemang Badani said in an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, arranged by Sony Sports:

"I think eventually it will get to a point where you will have to have split captaincy. I am somebody who believes that it is a lot tougher for one man to captain all formats and play a lot of games right now, purely from the workload point of view."

Noting the unrelenting cricketing workload, which includes all three formats and franchise cricket, Badani continued:

"It's practically impossible for anybody to play the amount of cricket that the Indian cricketers play right now. I think you will see in time two captains or maybe three captains going forward."

Team India have seen a slew of captains over the course of the last 12 months. The likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and KL Rahul have all led the national side in some capacity or the other, casting a light onto the current scenario in terms of scheduling and workload.

"If they cannot do it, then nobody can, it is as simple as that" - Hemang Badani on Team India adapting to Tests from a heavy T20 season

The focal point of 2022 was arguably the recently concluded T20 World Cup and justifiably, the schedule in the calendar year was more oriented towards the shortest format of the game.

Team India have played 38 T20Is this year and in the same timeframe, they have played only four Tests, with the last one coming in March against Sri Lanka at home.

When asked about Team India's transition from the shortest format to traditional red-ball cricket, Badani said:

"They are professional players, if they cannot do it, then nobody can, it is as simple as that."

Badani added:

"They are the best in the world and in our country, everyone, if you look in the squad, has had enough game time in the past and they are not like newcomers, and they should be able to turn it around immediately, it is their part and parcel of the job to do it."

The upcoming Test series marks Team India's final overseas venture in the current cycle of the World Test Championship (WTC).

🇧🇩 will look to improve their ODI record against their arch-nemesis India 🇮🇳

Can India build on their outstanding record, or will the Men in Blue be stunned? 🐍

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The Men in Blue are touring Bangladesh for a bilateral series for the first time since 2015. The two sides are slated to compete in three ODIs and two Tests beginning on Sunday, December 4.

Who will win the upcoming ODI series between India and Bangladesh? Let us know what you think.