Sacked as ODI captain, can Virat Kohli's bat do the talking?

Although there may be murmurs in cricketing circles that Virat Kohli has been forced to step down from the Test captaincy, the official word is that he has resigned. Even in T20Is, he got an opportunity to quit before he could be removed as leader. However, that wasn’t the case with one-dayers. He was officially replaced as ODI captain even though he had shown willingness to continue.

Having led the team with distinction for a number of years, the sacking must have hurt Kohli’s pride. He made it clear in no uncertain terms at the explosive press conference ahead of the South Africa tour. The 33-year-old sensationally revealed that he was informed of being removed as ODI captain just 90 minutes before the selection meeting for the Test tour.

Ever since the press conference, in which he directly took on the BCCI (without taking any specific names), Kohli has been in the eye of a storm. He knew that once he had opened Pandora's box with his allegations against the cricket board, he needed to win the South Africa series to get an extension as Test captain.

He could not and his resignation just a day after India’s series defeat against an inexperienced Proteas outfit was definitely not an afterthought. Kohli, just like anyone else with a basic understanding of Indian cricket, could see the writing on the wall. His time as captain had well and truly run out.

Virat Kohli: From captain to senior pro

The former skipper batting during the ODI series against England last year. Pic: Getty Images

While Kohli takes the field on Wednesday for the first ODI against South Africa in Paarl, he will not lead the team out in the middle. That responsibility, for this series, will be with KL Rahul, in the absence of the injured Rohit Sharma. But even without the hat of captain, a lot will hinge on Kohli, the batter and senior pro. First and foremost, he will have to rediscover his touch with the willow.

The former skipper has launched a staunch defense over his lack of big runs more than once recently, pointing out to the ‘team player’ factor. But the fact of the matter remains that the 33-year-old has been under-performing for an elongated period of time. And while it is true that stats don’t tell the entire story, it is equally true that they don’t lie completely.

Sadly for Kohli and his fans, the superstar cricketer’s stint as captain ended without an ICC trophy in any of the formats. He got close on a couple of occasions. India went down to Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final and to New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semi-final.

Kohli led India admirably as the side reached the World Test Championship (WTC) final. However, the side faltered again at the last hurdle, going down to the Kiwis once more in Southampton. The former India skipper has some unfinished business when it comes to ICC events and he can still play a starring role with the bat.

Kohli was part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup under MS Dhoni. But those were still early days in his international career and he played a good supporting role in the win. Over the years, he has gone on to achieve some incredible feats as a batter and captain. However, question marks over his ability in ICC knockout games remain.

He is yet to play a big knock in a World Cup do-or-die clash in the ODI format. He failed in the 2015 World Cup semi-final against Australia in the 2017 Champions Trophy final and again in the 2019 World Cup semis. His overall record in ICC knockout clashes in ODIs is abysmal to say the least.

The one-time run-machine will be well aware of the same but time is running out for Kohli to prove his mettle when it comes to being a big-game player. The 2023 World Cup at home is expected to be his last shot at ICC glory, this time as a pure batter. The South Africa series will set the ‘process’ in motion for target 2023 as Kohli looks to revive past glory with the willow in hand.

Following in Dhoni’s footsteps?

Kohli and Dhoni during the 2018 series in South Africa. Pic: Getty Images

Although Dhoni played the 2019 World Cup, which turned out to be his swansong, he handed over the ODI and T20 captaincy to Kohli in 2017, allowing him to build his team for the mega event. Despite having given up leadership, Dhoni played a stellar role in grooming youngsters, especially the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. KulCha depended so heavily on Dhoni that they looked lost once the keeper-batter exited the scene. Such was the impact MSD made even as a non-captain.

Apart from getting back to scoring a bucketful of runs, Kohli will also now be expected to play the role of guiding light to juniors. His captaincy style and attitude may be in complete contrast to Dhoni's. However, he has a wealth of experience that can be turned into gold if utilized properly.

It is up to Kohli to ensure that he passes on what he has learned to the next generation so that the cycle of Indian cricket remains in healthy shape. All said and done, he may no longer be the leader but Kohli can still offer plenty to Indian cricket. How much he will is something only the man can answer.