"You will soon see Rohit Sharma captaining the Indian team" - Kiran More
Kiran More firmly believes that Virat Kohli will soon pave the way for Rohit Sharma to lead the Indian team in some formats.
The former wicketkeeper-batsman opined on Wednesday that the picture will become a lot clearer after the upcoming tour to England, i.e. just before the T20 World Cup in October-November.
The Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma captaincy debate has been going on for some time in Indian cricket. Many believe Kohli should devolve the responsibilities of the white-ball teams to Rohit Sharma, who has a stellar record in the IPL.
Pundits and fans on the other side of the ledger point to Kohli's just-short-of-brilliant international numbers, which have seen him lose major tournaments only in semifinals and finals.
Kiran More argued Kohli has spent a major chunk of his career under MS Dhoni, and like him, he might also consider sharing responsibility in the near future.
"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.
Virat Kohli has led India to record-breaking wins in bilateral series, but the ICC and IPL trophies remain elusive. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, has five IPL titles, an Asia Cup and the Nidahas Trophy on his shelf.
Virat Kohli leaving white-ball captaincy to Rohit Sharma will send a huge message: Kiran More
Kiran More further said that captaining an international side in all three formats is no mean task. He lauded Kohli for his efforts but claimed that a 'healthy' renouncing of the captaincy would set a precedent for generations to follow.
"It [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'," said More.
"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 by doing this. 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," he concluded.
The upcoming tour of England provides Kohli with a golden opportunity to stamp his authority once and for all. Winning the inaugural World Test Championship against New Zealand and the five Test series versus England that follows will etch his name in Indian history.
However, more defeats than wins in the six Tests might push the 'split captaincy' voices to new decibel levels.