Selectors speak with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

According to sources, there have been rumors circulating that Virat Kohli may be relieved of his One-Day International leadership, as per the cricket sources. As previously said, the One-Day International captaincy is considered a “sensitive” topic, and there are plans to assign Rohit Sharma the leadership responsibilities of the Indian One-Day International side since the “Hitman” is already the full-time captain of the Indian T20I team.

Moreover, the source said that the selectors would meet with both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. That is to discuss the situation with both of them before making a final decision. Morever, Virat Kohli’s form with the cricket bat has been an issue too.

“The leadership of the One-Day International team is a delicate subject. After being named the T20I captain, a school of thought believes Rohit Sharma should be handed overall responsibility for all white-ball cricket. However, to do so, the selectors must get down with Virat Kohli and understand his current batting form. Because Rohit Sharma is also seeking clarification on his position, the problem would have to be reviewed with him,” according to a source quoted in the Times Of India.

The selection committee will initially announce the Indian Test team for the upcoming series against South Africa.

In addition, the Indian selection committee will initially only declare the team for the Test series against South Africa, with the ODI squad to be revealed later once the Test series is completed. Kohli has expressed his intention to stand aside as captain of the Indian Twenty20 International team following the end of the multi-nation competition before the 2021 edition of the T20 World Cup in New Zealand.

Kohli has not only stepped down as the captain of the Indian team in Twenty20 international cricket, but he has also stepped down as the captain of the Indian Premier League (IPL) team. He will not head the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) side from the IPL 2022 season. The first Test match of India’s tour of South Africa will be starting quite soon. When Kohli announced his retirement as India’s Twenty20 captain; he made it clear that he had no plans to retire from the 50-over format.

With India scheduled to host the ODI World Cup in 2023, Kohli seems keen to cling to his position until the huge event takes place. He may step down as ODI captain after that format, similar to how he went down as T20 captain after the 2021 World Cup.

Picking the squad for the trip to South Africa has become a hard affair for the selectors. TOI believes that the selection panel headed by Chetan Sharma has asked extra time to decide the ODI squad while the Test team is expected to come out in a day or two. This implies the choice of the skipper of the ODI squad would be postponed.

What does this mean for the fans who support the Indian cricket team?

The fans just want what is best for Team India, with either one is made the captain. There is a 50-over World Cup coming up in 2023 and the BCCI and team management is planning for it. King Kohli got his fair share of time as the captain of the Indian cricket team and it was evident that the introduction of Rahul Dravid as the coach of the Indian side, would also bring about a change in the leadership right at the top.

This could be a welcome change for the Indian team and new and upcoming players that want to make a major difference in the long run. Keeping that in mind, it will be really interesting to see how things develop for the long run.

Every captain has his choice of favourites or preferences that help build a team. With Virat Kohli not being removed as the skipper, things are expected to change soon. Some players that were preferred by Rohit Sharma, could not see themselves be given a chance in the squad.

However, it also becomes essential to maintain a balance and keep the momentum going. That is, with the two key tournaments coming in the next two years. Team India will be keen to fight for a chance to win them both. Only time will tell what happens next!!