Anurag Kumar
In late 2021, Virat Kohli’s resignation as captain sparked significant controversy. Kohli’s resignation as T20 captain prior to the T20 World Cup caused the initial ripple, and simmering tensions between the batting great and the BCCI – then led by Sourav Ganguly – eventually led to his dismissal as the One Day International (ODI) captain in December of that year. The argument was that BCCI did not want the team to have two captains in distinct white-ball formats. After Kohli’s departure in January of the following year, Rohit was also appointed Test captain.
As a result of a change in leadership, the seasoned Rahul Dravid assumed the role of chief coach. Nevertheless, despite the change in leadership, India’s ICC trophy drought has persisted to the present day, with the team losing the T20 World Cup last year and the World Test Championship final in June 2023.
As India seeks its first ICC championship since 2013 at the ODI World Cup on home soil, the preparations for the marquee event have not inspired much confidence. The team lost the home ODI series against Australia in March, and on its return to the format last month against the West Indies, both Rohit and Kohli were spared in two of three games as India won 2-1. In addition, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer’s injuries are a significant concern for the team’s management.
Rashid Latif, a former wicketkeeper-batsman for Pakistan, believes that India would be in a stronger position for the World Cup if Kohli were still the captain.
“Had they allowed Virat Kohli to remain as captain, India would have been 100 percent ready for the World Cup by now,” Latif said on his official YouTube channel.
“The administration of the Indian team has experimented with a number of players, and if I consider their batting, the middle and lower order — from numbers 4 to 7 — they have not allowed any new player to settle in. He stated that there have been too many adjustments.
Dependency on Rahul, Iyer “risky”
The reliance on ailing veterans such as KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer could be “risky” heading into the World Cup, he added.
“I would say it’s risky because KL and Iyer are returning from injuries,” he continued.
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“In the middle overs, where a faster strike rate is required even in 50-over cricket, I believe Asian nations will struggle to compete with these teams. Currently, the English, Australian, and New Zealand batsmen’s reverse sweep and switch strokes against the spinners are extremely lethal,” he added.
