Virat Kohli stepped down as India’s Test captain on Saturday, a day after India had been defeated in South Africa 2-1.
It was a decision that the fans and even the board members didn’t see coming, for Kohli, who was stripped of his ODI captaincy before the South Africa tour, had led India to newer heights in the longest format over the past few years.
Virat Kohli, who had taken over full-time Test captaincy from MS Dhoni in early 2015, finished as India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 Tests; behind him are Dhoni (27 wins from 60 matches) and Sourav Ganguly (21 wins out of 49).
India’s next Test series is against Sri Lanka at home late in February. Now, the selectors have about a month’s time to finalize who will take over from Virat Kohli as Test captain.
Here are the three best captaincy options:
Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is the frontrunner to be named the new Test skipper. Sharma, who replaced Kohli as the ODI and T20I captain, was named the Test vice-captain as well before the South Africa tour replacing Ajinkya Rahane in that position. He, however, missed the South Africa series due to a hamstring injury.
Although Sharma remains the best bet for the job, the problem the board has in front of them is Sharma’s regular fitness issues and the workload of leading the side in all three formats.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul captained in the second Test in Johannesburg when Kohli missed the game due to back spasms. With Sharma named as the skipper in both the white-ball formats, there is a chance that the selectors may consider Rahul for Test captain.
KL Rahul will captain India in the ODI series against the Protea. Chief selector Chetan Sharma had already touted Rahul as a future captain; it perhaps is the right time for the 29-year-old to be handed the Test reins.
India’s premier off-spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, is known to be one of the smartest brains in cricket. Ashwin, who has the experience of leading in IPL and domestic cricket, remains a safe option for short-term Test captain.
The argument against Ashwin is that he isn’t the first-choice spinner in overseas conditions. But, if you look at India’s schedule, there is all but one outside Asia. India host Sri Lanka, Australia, and tour Bangladesh – all games in which Ashwin will start – and only the fifth Test against England in June is outside Asia.
On his last trip to Australia, though, Ashwin proved why he could be a trustworthy spinner even outside Asia. His batting has also improved since last year, a reason why India played him at number 7 in South Africa. With all but one game at home, this gives selectors time to groom KL Rahul or even young Rishabh Pant in the leadership group.
