India could have a new white ball captain after the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Virat Kohli has already announced that the ongoing showpiece event will be his last as leader in the game’s shortest format.
Rohit Sharma is set to take over the limited overs captaincy since the powers that be in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are of the opinion that a split captaincy between ODIs and T20Is could lead to complications in running the side.
India begin their three-match T20I series after the T20 World Cup, on November 17 against New Zealand in Jaipur. Their next ODI series will be against the West Indies, the opening match scheduled on February 6 in Ahmedabad.
The announcement on ODIs may be delayed and the BCCI could name Rohit only as T20I captain later this week. Head coach-in-waiting Rahul Dravid will also be consulted.
The bizarre turn of events in the UAE against Pakistan and New Zealand has left the BCCI mandarins worried, especially with the 50-over World Cup set to take place in the country in 2023. While it will need a miracle for India to make the semi-finals in the UAE, the failure to win an ICC trophy after 2013 calls for serious introspection. The Board believes a new captain and coach can usher in new ideas and ring in changes keeping a wider perspective in view.
“The next T20 World Cup is in Australia next year. If India do well there, it will only be logical that Rohit be handed over the ODI captaincy as well. Why not make the move now itself rather than wait for another year? It will be prudent to have one captain in the white ball format keeping in mind the continuity factor,” a source told The Telegraph.
“Rohit is a proven leader. He has won the Asia Cup for India besides a record five titles for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He enjoys the confidence of the players and has himself performed creditably, even in Test cricket overseas. Keeping in mind our set-up and culture, it is better to have one captain for Tests and one for limited overs cricket.”
What has bothered the BCCI is the manner of defeats in both the matches and the way the team has performed below the optimum standards. A serious look is needed at the strategy adopted for the game’s shortest format: 36 for 3 and 35 for 2 in the two Powerplay overs thus far cannot be considered ideal by any yardstick. The start has obviously culminated in below par totals when defending against Pakistan and New Zealand.
There’s also been this school of thought that a change of captaincy was needed across formats to give the side a “sense of direction”. That, however, hasn’t found many takers in the corridors of power.
That a mere six boundaries were hit in 17 overs and not one between the seventh and 15th overs has really put Kohli’s sense of planning under the test. In the two matches, India have struck only six sixes in 40 overs and dismissed two batsmen which is a reflection of the team’s muddled thinking and inconsistent batting positions.
The decision to bench the world’s best spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, has once again come to haunt the team management. “You obviously would look to unleash your best bet in a do-or-die game. Knowing well about New Zealand’s struggle against spin, we decided to keep Ashwin out. We need a shift in culture in the team,” the source maintained.
Mathematically, India are still alive but even three clinical victories against Afghanistan, Scotland and Namibia would not guarantee a semi-final berth. They would also have to hope New Zealand lose to Afghanistan.
“India need some big hitters to rescue them... Too much is being expected of Ravindra Jadeja while Hardik Pandya’s presence needs an investigation,” the source said.
India need to have clarity of roles in this format. Their T20 template needs an overhaul, else this could become more than a one-act tragedy.
