(Cricket news) BCCI have announced the appointment of Rohit Sharma as the permanent captain of the ODI team along with the T20I team. The decision comes less than 3 months after Virat Kohli announced his decision of stepping down as T20I captain in a statement where he also mentioned that he is doing so to be fully ready to lead the side in Tests and ODIs. A few days later, Kohli also announced that he will step down as RCB captain.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI & T20I teams going forward." The statement read which clearly suggests that Virat Kohli was sacked by the selectors. The announcement came as a surprise because the next ODI isn't going to be played till 19th January. The decision is somewhat bold and could be very beneficial for Indian cricket going forward.
Having one captain for white ball and another one for red ball makes perfect sense. Both the captains would want to play the best teams and squad rotation becomes a problem. The fact that both Virat and Rohit are committed to playing all 3 formats is important in this scenario. Rohit Sharma has also replaced Ajinkya Rahane as the vice captain of the Test team. If the two work together and decide what's better for the team then the system will work perfectly. Rahul Dravid will undoubtedly have a big role to play in that.
If Virat Kohli had willingly stepped down as the captain just like he did for the T20Is, there would've been little to no negatives but the fact that he has been sacked changes the scenario. Kohli gave up the captaincy of T20Is and RCB to focus on Tests and ODIs just to be sacked before playing another ODI. After having one captain for all formats since 2016, split captaincy could prove to be a recipe for disaster. There could be a fear in Kohli's mind that before he knows he will be dropped from the white team and axed from the Test captaincy as well.
Another big factor with the decision is Virat Kohli's form with the bat over the past 2 years. If the selection committee's intention is to improve Kohli's prowess with the willow then it will definitely be beneficial for the side provided the intentions are made known to the player. Virat Kohli will end his incredible reign as a white ball captain without an ICC trophy to his name. Rohit Sharma will now build a side keeping the 2023 World Cup in mind.
