Virat Kohli averages 72.65 with the bat as the captain of the Indian One Day International team. This is more than anyone in the history of the sport who has led in at least 75 matches. Considered one of the best all-format batsmen of all time, AB de Villiers comes second with 63.94. Leading an international team is not easy when you are also the best batsman in the team. At times it is unclear whether your runs are more important or your lead.
For now, that question has been answered for Kohli by the Board of Control. Cricket In India, their selectors and team management. Kohli has been relieved of the captaincy in One Day Internationals until he has resigned from his leadership role in Twenty20 Internationals. Kohli cited the workload of the management as the reason for doing so just ahead of the International Cricket Council Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Given India’s low T20 engagements, it did not seem that his argument was supported by leaving the captaincy in this format alone.
BCCI waited 48 hours for Kohli to step down from ODI captaincy, but he didn’t: Report
Kohli did not participate in India’s home T20I series against New Zealand immediately after the World Cup, and when the Board of Control for Cricket in India India Announcing his Test squad for the series in South Africa, he added a line at the end of his media release, that Rohit Sharma will also be the captain of the 50-over team. This is a time when a line is being drawn in the sand, whether one admits it or not.
As part of the Test squad announcement, Ajinkya Rahane was relieved of his vice-captaincy, handed over to Rohit Sharma, who is almost 35 years old with no stripping. But, when you see Rohit as the captain in two of the three formats, it makes sense for him to be the vice-captain in the third, especially as Rahane is struggling for form and holds his place in the Test side. Has happened. The injustice of it all, if you look from Rahane’s point of view, is that he led India to one of their biggest Test series wins, less than 11 months ago. He scored a Test century of the highest class that helped a team win a series with 36 all outs to players who were on a second-string best.
End of an era: Kohli’s ODI captaincy in numbers
Today, Rahane, who has not been involved in white-ball cricket, sees his future not uncertain but an unofficial end to his career. Rahane will be the first to admit that he hasn’t scored as many runs in recent times as a batsman of his undeniable quality should have. In two years Rahane has played 16 Tests at an average of 24, which is completely unacceptable for a top-order batsman. But, he has retained his place as his opponents Cheteshwar Pujara (averaging 27 in 17 Tests) and Kohli (averaging 26 in 13 Tests) have been equally bad.
Rahane retained his position as vice-captain for so long. And even when he was in this position he was dropped from the first playing XI when he was returning in much better numbers than he is now. With that said, it’s hard to save him from the axe until he grows up in India’s opening Test in South Africa.
Rohit Sharma replaced Kohli as India’s ODI captain; BCCI announces squad for South Africa Test
For Indian cricket, however, it is only another phase of the transition. Could it have been managed better? Of course. Could the change have happened more systematically? Naturally. Could the explanation have been more honest and direct? Yes. But, that is not how Indian cricket works these days. Or, at least in the recent past. Winds of change can blow, and it starts with captaincy, coaching and leadership positions. But, one thing is for sure, as much as things change with Indian cricket, they remain the same.
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