"He's a little bit quieter, the emotions are not there" - Brad Hogg on Virat Kohli's change in demeanor after captaincy shift

Former Australia spinner Brad Hogg feels Virat Kohli is slowly coming to terms with not captaining the team any more. The 33-year-old played for the first time since relinquishing the captaincy post in South Africa.

He was axed as ODI captain after the BCCI wished to have a single captain in both white-ball formats. Following the defeat in the third Test at Cape Town, the 33-year-old announced his decision to step down as Test captain as well, thereby ending his days as skipper.

Hogg noted that Virat Kohli lacked aggression and was shaky about his conduct on the field, now that he is no longer captaining the side. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Hogg said:

"Kohli is a little bit lost in the way he wants to go about his business. He's a little bit quieter, the emotions are not there. When he's batting, he's not really in the bowler's face. Yes, there were glimpses or two, but really it's not the Kohli of old, that determined player who wants to take authority."

He added:

"When he's not in a leadership position, he's a little bit uncertain of how to conduct himself. I think Kohli has got at least 5 years of cricket left in him for India."

He was among the runs in the three ODIs against the Proteas despite a duck in the second fixture, but was largely reserved over the course of the series.

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It would be wise if Virat Kohli can take just a little break: Brad Hogg

India have a series of home assignments coming up before the IPL in the form of visits from West Indies and Sri Lanka. Hogg suggested that Virat Kohli should consider taking a break initially to allow Rohit Sharma to complete a proper takeover of the team. He said:

"They've got West Indies lined up next where they can turn things around. I think it would be wise if Kohli can take just a little break, to allow Rohit Sharma to show that authority in the dressing room with the next generation of players."

Hogg went on to add:

"Once that is settled, he can come back for the Sri Lanka series. For me, Rohit and Virat, with Virat not knowing how to quite attack the game moving forward could be a little bit of an issue. It's not deliberate, or ego about it, it's just a change of scenery for Kohli."

Rohit Sharma is reportedly back to full fitness and will be available to lead the Indian team in Ahmedabad and Kolkata against the Windies.