India’s horrendous run in the T20 World Cup has raised doubts in the minds of fans and experts alike regarding India’s future. The team’s morale is at an all-time low and the bio-bubble exhaustion is taking a heavy toll on the players. The BCCI reportedly is not happy with the way the Indian team has performed in their first two matches of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. If reports are to be believed, Virat Kohli is unlikely to remain India’s ODI Captain, if India fails to qualify for the WT20 semi-finals.
It all started a couple of months ago when Virat declared that he will be stepping down from captaincy from the shortest format of the game via an Instagram post. Virat took the decision after putting in a lot of thinking regarding India’s future and his current form. Although he was believed to continue leading the ODI and Test sides, India’s current plight has raised a plethora of doubts in everyone’s minds.
What are the rumours?
“The board is unhappy. And there is serious doubt over his (Virat) ODI captaincy now as well. But three games still left and if India, by any chance, manages to qualify and fight back in the tournament then the scenario could change. But, right now, if you ask me or anybody, Virat is doubtful as ODI captain,” a source said. Asked if Rohit Sharma could be given the responsibility, the official said, “It is too early to name anybody, let the T20 World Cup get over. Rahul Dravid may also join the team as head coach soon. He will be discussed as well. Rohit or anybody else, or Virat continues, everything will be done afterward. There are chances that India get one captain for T20 and ODI formats and one (Virat) for Tests.”
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What happens next?
India’s chances of qualification from here on are almost astronomical. Judging by the looks of it, either Afghanistan or New Zealand is going to accompany Pakistan in the semi-finals from Group B. Irrespective of the fact that the rumors are a hoax or not, India needs revitalization in their strategy as this India hasn’t looked this vulnerable in quite some time. The inclusion of Rahul Dravid as head coach is a head start as India gear up for the 2022 T20 World Cup and the 2024 World Cup.
However, if the reports are true, India’s vice-captain Rohit Sharma becomes the automatic choice to lead the men-in-blue. Despite being 34, Rohit has proven his worth by leading the Mumbai Indians to championship glory for a record 5 times. He also led the Indian contingent to Asia Cup and Nidhas Trophy wins in 2018 in the absence of Virat. In addition to this, either Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, or Shreyas Iyer may be asked to step up to fill up the vacant spot of the vice-captain.
How successful has Virat been as captain?
Despite largely being India’s best batsman across formats for the last decade, Kohli the captain has failed to deliver at the need of the hour. One of the biggest gripes fans have with Virat Kohli as captain is that he has not won any ICC trophy yet. Being given the leadership duties in early 2017, Kohli has led India in 4 ICC events. These include the 2017 Champions Trophy, 2019 World Cup, 2021 WTC Finals, and the 2021 T20 World Cup. India has noticed a common pattern in all these events as India largely dominates the group stage and chokes at the knock-out stages. The 2021 T20 World Cup has added salt to the wound as India is virtually out of the tournament after losing their first two matches at the hands of New Zealand and arch-rivals Pakistan.
India’s last ICC title win came in 2013 when under MS Dhoni, the Men-in-Blue won the Champions Trophy in England.
Virat’s records as Captain
Virat Kohli has led India in 47 T20I matches that include 27 wins and 16 losses. However, two of those matches ended in a no-contest while two ended in a tie. These include 6 series wins including a 5-0 thrashing of New Zealand away from home in 2020. On the flip side, Kohli has led India in 65 ODI wins as captain. He’s the fourth most successful ODI Indian captain after the likes of MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, and M Azharuddin. In the 95 matches, he’s captained India, India came short on 27 occasions while 3 games ended in a no-contest. The 32-year-old has led India in 65 test matches home and away and India has emerged with the winner’s share of the purse on 38 such occasions. 11 of the aforementioned matches ended in a draw while India fell short on 16 different occasions.
Virat’s records as Captain
| Format | Matches | Wins | Losses | No Results | Win Percentage |
| T20I | 47 | 29 | 16 | 2 | 61.70% |
| ODI | 95 | 65 | 27 | 3 | 68.42% |
| Tests | 65 | 38 | 16 | 11 | 58.46% |
