5 players who can captain India after Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli’s captaincy has been a subject of much debate in recent times. Many believe that he might be the greatest batsman of this generation, but his tactical understanding of the game is not right up there with some of the greatest captains of the past and India might be better off with somebody else leading the side than him.

However with World Cup 2019 less than a year away, the chances are minimal that the Indian selectors will make any call regarding the captaincy and unless and until something bizarre happens suddenly, India is all set to go into the World Cup under Kohli’s captaincy. But if the Men in Blue don’t fare well in the showpiece event in UK, Kohli’s position as a captain could become vulnerable.

Here we look at the 5 players who might captain India in future if Kohli decides to relinquish captaincy, or the BCCI looks for other options.

#1 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has shown his captaincy credentials both in the IPL and international cricket

Rohit has captaincy credentials and everybody knows it. He has not only shown it at the IPL level with Mumbai Indians where he has won 3 IPL titles, but he has also captained India excellently as well whenever he has got the opportunity in Kohli’s absence. India has won two titles under him already, namely Nidahas Trophy and Asia Cup.

What goes in Rohit’s favour as a captain is his calm demeanour. He keeps his emotions in check even during the crunch moments of the game and thus remains in a better position to make correct decisions, unlike Kohli who is much more emotional and can sometimes get carried away in the heat of the moment.

#2 KL Rahul

Rahul comes across as an intelligent cricketer and can be a candidate for captaincy

KL Rahul has not been able to secure his place in the Indian team in all formats of the game yet, but he is being tipped as the next big thing in Indian cricket and rightly so as he possesses enormous potential with the bat. While his technique is sound enough to let him succeed at the Test level, he has got the flair and flamboyance needed for white ball cricket as well.

It’s almost certain that sooner or later, Rahul will be a regular member of the side in all formats and once it happens, he will be a candidate for captaincy too as he comes across as a very intelligent cricketer. If the selectors opt for a long-term option, they might prefer Rahul over Rohit as he is much younger.

#3 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has already captained Delhi for a full domestic season

Rishabh Pant is being seen as the replacement of MS Dhoni once the latter decides to hang his boots. The 20-year old has already been drafted into the national side and while he is donning the gloves in test matches, he is playing as a pure batsman in 50-over cricket at the moment.

Pant is likely to stand behind the sticks for India in all formats of the game after the World Cup and he is another player who has got leadership qualities. He might be too young right now, but he has already captained his state side Delhi for a full domestic season and has got a fair bit of captaincy experience. The fact that he is a wicket-keeper might help his cause too as he will have a good understanding of the angles in the field and the behaviour of the pitch.

#4 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin captained Kings XI Punjab wonderfully in IPL 2018

If India opts for different captains in different formats, Ravichandran Ashwin might be one of the choices. Ashwin understands the technicalities of cricket better than most and is a real student of the game. The way he led a mediocre Kings XI Punjab side in the last IPL season, it was a proof that he could turn out to be a fantastic captain for India if given an opportunity.

Ashwin at this stage is not part of India’s plans in limited-over cricket and rightly so as the wrist spinning duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav is doing a fabulous job. But the 32-year old is still India’s premier spinner in Test cricket and is supposed to continue playing the longest format of the game for a few more years. He can be given the captaincy of the Test side.

#5 Ajinkya Rahane

Rahane led India to a series win in his debut test as Indian captain

Ajinkya Rahane impressed one and all with his captaincy in the Dharamshala Test against Australia last year. With the series on the line at 1-1 and India missing the services of Virat Kohli, Rahane stood up to the task and led the team in an exemplary fashion. He was aggressive in his approach and didn’t shy away from putting the debutant Kuldeep Yadav early into the mix who subsequently returned excellent figures and decided the course of the match with a 4-fer in the first innings.

Like Ashwin, Rahane is also out of favour in limited-overs cricket at this stage and is not a part of either the 50-over or the 20-over side, but he is a certainty in the Test side and can be considered for captaincy if the selectors look beyond Virat Kohli.