Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri supports split captaincy
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes split captaincy is the right approach. Shastri, whose tenure as head coach ended following the T20 World Cup, said split captaincy could be a blessing in disguise for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Rohit recently took over the reins of India's white-ball sides from Kohli, while the latter will continue to lead India in Test cricket.
- Earlier this year, Kohli had announced that he would step down as India's T20I captain after the conclusion of the T20 WC.
- After India crashed out of the tournament, Rohit led India in the T20I series against New Zealand.
- Ahead of the South Africa tour, the BCCI announced that Rohit will lead India in ODIs as well.
- The decision gave rise to several controversies.
"I think it is the right way to go. This could be a blessing in disguise for Virat, and for Rohit, because I don't think in this era if the bubble life exists for another year or so, one guy can handle all, that is not easy at all," Shastri said on Star Sports show 'BOLD & BRAVE: THE SHASTRI WAY'.
India's experiment with split captaincy has turned out to be fruitful in the past. In 2014, MS Dhoni had given the baton to Kohli after retiring. However, the former captain continued to lead in ODIs and T20Is until 2017. With Rohit at the helm, Kohli could completely focus on his batting in limited-overs cricket. This move can certainly increase the career span of Kohli.
Besides talking about split captaincy, Shastri also highlighted the current form of Rohit in Tests. "It was very clear in my mind that I wanted to do it. I thought if I can't get the best out of him as a batsman then I am a failure as a coach because there is too much talent there," added Shastri.
Rohit has been India's mainstay opening batter in Test cricket for over two years. His Test career has blossomed after he got promoted as an opener. Since October 2019, he has smashed 1,462 Test runs at an incredible average of 58.48. Rohit is India's highest run-scorer in Test cricket in 2021. He has amassed 906 runs from 11 matches this year at 47.68.
