Experts examine pros and cons of having two captains for different formats as Team India gear up for split-captaincy for first time following Virat Kohli’s decision to step down as T20 skipper after the World Cup
India captain Virat Kohli. Pic/Getty Images
For the first time, the Indian team will have different captains for red-ball and white-ball cricket. While Virat Kohli will still lead the Test and the ODI teams, the T20 team will have a new leader after Thursday’s announcement of him stepping down as captain in the shortest format after the forthcoming World Cup in UAE and Oman.
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Indian Test and limited-overs teams were led by MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli from 2014 to 2017 after the former retired from the longest format in the middle of the 2014-15 Australia tour. However, this time, the scope to have a new T20 captain has been created with Kohli’s decision. In all likelihood, the baton will be passed on to his deputy Rohit Sharma.
Like England, Australia, SA
International teams across the globe have different captains for different formats. England (Test captain Joe Root, ODI and T20I captain Eoin Morgan), Australia (Test captain Tim Paine, ODI and T20I captain Aaron Finch) and South Africa (Test captain Dean Elgar, ODI and T20I captain Temba Bavuma) are some examples. Will split-captaincy work in the Indian setup? Dhoni, who has been roped in as Team India mentor for the T20 World Cup, uttered a firm ‘no’ when asked after stepping down as captain in limited-overs cricket in 2017.
Rohit Sharma. Pic/AFP
Former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad expressed his fears regarding the two-captain system. “If majority of players are different in T20Is, ODIs and Test matches, then probably it might work provided the captain is a part of the majority. If we have a majority of players playing all three formats, then it doesn’t balance out,” Gaekwad, who is also a BCCI Apex Council member, told mid-day from Baroda on Friday.
“If you have good bench strength, where a majority of players are only for T20Is, ODIs or Test matches, then it’s okay as the understanding is very clear that these are the specialised teams with just three to four players regular in all formats.”
Former chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad hoped Kohli and Rohit will gel well. “When Virat was Test captain and MS was limited-overs skipper, Virat was happy to be led by Dhoni. Even when Virat led in all three formats, he was happy to take guidance from MS. It is all about how an individual takes it. Even greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly played under different captains; it’s all about maturity. I hope they [Virat and Rohit] gel well.”
Anshuman Gaekwad and Madan Lal
‘It’s about performance’
S Madan Lal, who is the chairman of the all-powerful Cricket Advisory Committee of the BCCI, felt split captaincy will work for Team India. “It is possible. One has to consider the workload of the cricketers. Kohli will do much better than what he is doing as he will get some more space. It’s not about personalities [of playing under different captains], it’s about Indian cricket. It’s all about performance and not about the captain. One has to adapt to any scenario. They are professional players, not amateurs. They have to learn to adjust,” said the former India coach and member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team.
Madan Lal’s 1983 World Cup-winning teammate, Balvinder Singh Sandhu too had no doubts over split captaincy. “They are all professional cricketers. I have no doubt that this will work. Virat will be mentally fresh. It will be a win-win situation for everyone,” said Sandhu.
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