3 reasons why Rohit Sharma should replace Virat Kohli as Indian captain in white-ball cricket

India recently endured a heart-breaking defeat in the semi-finals of World Cup 2019 as the Virat Kohli-led side went down to New Zealand. The loss sparked widespread discussions regarding some of the decisions taken by Indian team management.

In cricket, it is often said a captain is as good as his team but the reality is, the captain generally has a major say on the team composition. From selection decisions to on field tactics, the captain has a major say in all of those.

Virat Kohli has an excellent record as captain of India and has brought many accolades in Tests and one could argue that one close defeat in a knockout game shouldn't lead to a change in captaincy, but the hard fact is, in all his years as captain in white ball cricket, he has no major trophy to show for.

India's selection in the recent times, be it squad selection or playing 11, has lacked consistency. Last year, Virat famously announced "We've found our no. 4 for the World Cup" referring to Ambati Rayudu, who after being backed till the last series India played, was dropped for the World Cup.

India tried more than 10 players for the No.4 spot but could not settle on a single one. There was uncertainty with respect to the batting positions of the players leading up to the World Cup which, in the end, hurt India's chances at the event.

Virat Kohli for all his success in bilateral matches has never been as convincing a captain in white ball cricket, chopping and changing the playing 11 almost every game, making decisions which have not paid any dividends, like the decision of backing Kedar Jadhav and playing him consistently for three years, and then suddenly dropping him at the business end of the World Cup.

These instances are a part of a larger group of decisions which have been questionable and calls for a leadership change in Indian Cricket. Right now, the best man for the job could be Rohit Sharma.

Here are the 3 reasons why Rohit Sharma should replace Virat Kohli as Indian captain in white-ball cricket.

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#3 Excellent Record as Captain

2019 IPL

Rohit Sharma has an excellent record as captain, having led the Mumbai Indians to a record four titles in seven years as captain. He has appeared very calm while leading the franchise and has the respect of all the players. Also, he has led India to victories in Nidahas Trophy and Asia Cup and has 8 wins in 9 ODIs as India Captain.

Rohit's tactical acumen and understanding of the game is second to none, his decision to bowl Lasith Malinga in the final of IPL 2019, even though the pacer was expensive, proved to be the game-changer.

As a captain, he has looked at ease every time he has been handed the responsibility, and the burden of captaincy doesn't seem to affect his batting as well. Also, he has an excellent record as a captain in knockouts.

On the other hand, Kohli does not have a single trophy as captain of India and RCB. Having reached the knockouts of major tournaments a number of times, the teams led by Virat have often failed to cross the line, almost choking at the final hurdle.

#2 Under Rohit Sharma, MI have produced world-class match winners for India

Hardik Panda and Jasprit Bumrah

Rohit Sharma has a history of backing his players and under his captaincy, Mumbai Indians have produced players like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya who are match winners on their day.

While the talent scouts and team management of MI deserve a lot of credit for the uprising, the backing and trust of a captain is of great importance as it is the captain who decides on-field tactics.

The story of Mumbai Indians title wins have been impressive when they have more than once, come back from behind in the points table, proving the critics wrong and showing the character that they have as a team.

Mumbai Indians have always worn a settled look with these match winners and with Rohit at the helm of affairs, the Mumbai Indians have started most seasons as favorites to win the title.

#1 The move will help Virat Kohli focus on his batting

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is regarded the best batsman of this generation. The last thing that India would want is his performances going down as a batsman. Free from the responsibilities of captaincy, he should be able to focus on his batting a lot more and not be burdened by having the weight of the team on his shoulders.

Virat's ability and class with the bat with or without captaincy has never been in question and with Virat and Rohit having great camaraderie between them, there shouldn't be any rifts in the team as the decision to split the captaincy between both is one, which if taken, would be for the betterment of Indian cricket.

Undoubtedly, Virat is leading the team well in the Test format and should continue to hold the test captaincy but there might be time for a change of guard as far the shorter formats are concerned.