Virat Kohli to step down as limited-overs skipper after T20 World Cup - Reports

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced its 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 set to begin on October 17. As expected, Virat Kohli was named the skipper and Rohit Sharma as his deputy for the global event. But there could be a change of guard in terms of leadership after the culmination of the T20 World Cup.

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If reports are anything to go by, then Rohit Sharma is likely to take charge from Kohli in the white-ball formats. A source close to Virat Kohli said the skipper will give up the white-ball captaincy as he feels that leading the team in all three formats is affecting his batting.

“Virat himself will make the announcement. He is of the view that he needs to concentrate on his batting and go back to becoming what he’s always been- the best batsman in the world,” The Times of India quoted sources as saying.

Kohli last scored a hundred in 2019 versus Bangladesh in the pink-ball Test and since then has failed to convert the fifties into hundreds in Test, ODI, and T20I cricket. But that has not in any way affected his leadership as he continues to take Indian cricket to greater heights. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma has a vast amount of experience when it comes to leading a side in franchise cricket. He has won five titles for Mumbai Indians since taking charge as a captain in 2013.

“It will wrap up a historic Test cycle from an India perspective. Virat is also the first to realise that his overall responsibilities as captain across formats are taking a toll on his batting. He needs that space and freshness because he has a lot more to offer. If Rohit takes over as whiteball captain, Virat can continue leading India’s red-ball aspirations and work on his T20 and One-day batting. He’s just 32 and given his fitness, he will easily play top cricket for another five to six years at least,” the report further quoted sources as saying.

According to reports, Kohli, Rohit, and management have had meetings in the past and are pondering over a change in leadership in white-ball setup.