VVS Laxman feels split captaincy will not work in Indian cricket. The former batsman explained why England has found success with Eoin Morgan and Joe Root as skippers, but India may struggle to do so if they go the same way.
Many experts are of the opinion that Rohit Sharma should lead India in white-ball cricket. With the opener guiding Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles, it is believed that Hitman can do a better job with India’s white-ball side.
VVS Laxman: Virat Kohli The Batsman Should Captain In All 3 Formats As He Is Regular
In an exclusive interview with News18, VVS Laxman touched upon the split captaincy debate, stressing the reason behind Virat Kohli becoming the perfect all-format captain for India.
“I have always felt that as long as your captain is not burdened by captaincy and he is someone who enjoys the responsibility without compromising his performances, in this case, Virat the batsman, it should be the same captain for all the formats if he is regular in all the three formats.”
England is one of the teams that have found great success by going the split captaincy way. Eoin Morgan has transformed England into an outstanding white-ball side, which also saw them lift the 2019 World Cup.
Joe Root leads England in the longest format of the game, with England’s form improving in Test cricket over the past few years. But VVS Laxman feels England’s squad composition allows them to have two captains, something which is not a possibility in Indian cricket.
“In England, the split captaincy works because Joe Root is not a regular in white-ball cricket, or Eoin Morgan is not a Test player. If a captain is all three formats players and on top of that, a performer, it should be one captain.”
VVS Laxman: Virat Kohli Has Defined Current Indian Team By Leading As Example And His Positivity And Work Ethic Have Inspired Team
VVS Laxman said the chatter doing the rounds about Virat Kohli’s leadership skill is unnecessary. The iconic batsman listed how the current Test team offers the perfect balance, courtesy of a core leadership group that has formed after Virat Kohli’s quest for excellence.
“This debate or discussion does not make sense at all. Ultimately, it is Kohli who has defined this team. His positivity, his work ethic have inspired the Indian team and an entire generation of Indian cricketer to become very professional about the game. Virat is very fortunate to have seniors in the form of Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ashwin, and also Ishant and Bumrah in the fast bowling unit, to form a core group.”
VVS Laxman was of the view that India’s current limited-overs and Test squad has a strong core of leaders. Talking about Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane, VVS Laxman said he was excited to see India have depth in the captaincy department too.
“I have always felt that to have a champion side, while you have a designated captain, it is important to have a core group of leaders. This Indian team has that core group. I feel Virat is still the leader of the pack and leads by example. And, whenever Rahane and Rohit have got the captaincy, they have impressed everyone with their captaincy and managerial skills. This adds to the depth of the leadership group. The debate is not even required or worth thinking about.”
Since early 2017, Virat Kohli is handling the captaincy of the Indian national cricket team in all three formats. Rohit Sharma has got limited opportunities to lead the Indian team, but the Men in Blue have already won the Nidahas Trophy 2018 and Asia Cup 2018 under his leadership.
Ajinkya Rahane led the team to a remarkable 2-1 win in Australia after their heavy defeat in Adelaide where the team registered the lowest Test score of 36. He is yet to lose a Test match as India captain and has won 4 Tests in 5 matches led while one-the Sydney Test was drawn.