Indian Cricket is currently facing a deep predicament over the last few months. After the disastrous WT20 campaign in UAE, a period of turmoil has set in the BCCI and the Indian dressing room. In the latest episode of Kohli’s shocking decision to hang his boots as the Test skipper. Team India already has a new captain in limited-overs in the form of Rohit Sharma and now awaits to know the successor of Kohli in the 5-day game.
The entire chain of events around the change of captaincy has caused pandemonium in the media. Fans are divided and have not flinched to say that all is not well in Indian Cricket.
2014 and 2022 : Two contrasting scripts
Transition in a team and switch of captaincy has often caused a ruckus in the past. That transition seemed to change in 2014 when the then captain MS Dhoni handed his baton over to Virat Kohli in Tests. With not much hullabaloo, Indian cricket moved from strength to strength from one era to another.
The current scenario, however, recalls memories of the times of Kapil Dev and Azharuddin. If the transition from Dhoni to Kohli was a sign towards the positive direction, the present-day conflict proves that the BCCI is yet to learn its lesson effectively.
The beauty of a smooth transformation reflects on the mindset of the dressing room. After Kohli became the captain in 2014, India steadily progressed to become invincible in the red-ball game. In 2017, Kohli became the captain in all 3 formats and led a team with a great blend of experience and youth.
As a captain, Kohli could always discuss game-plan with an exceptional leader like Dhoni whose cricketing brain and rich experience remained as an asset for the team. India continued to flourish across all formats thanks to such professionalism on the cricket field.
The Road Ahead
One can hardly deny that the BCCI has mismanaged the Kohli saga completely. With a new coaching staff and a new captain on the block, only time will tell how the team stands up. One will hope that the sudden and abrupt shift of power does not form several echo chambers in the team, to say the least.
One main criticism about Kohli’s captaincy was the team’s failure in ICC events. With the WT20 coming up this year followed by the 50 over WC in 2023, Rohit Sharma will be under tremendous pressure from the very beginning of his captaincy stint.
After the series defeat against South Africa, India are placed at No.5 in the ICC WTC points table. The BCCI is yet to appoint the new Test skipper, but whoever it turns out to be, the individual too will have an uphill task upfront.
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