Are India ready for split captaincy?

Possible Asia Cup title may spark debate on having Rohit Sharma as limited-overs captain and Virat Kohli as leader in Test cricket to manage workload

If Rohit Sharma helps India clinch the Asia Cup today, it could well spark a debate on split captaincy between him and Virat Kohli. Whenever Rohit has been handed the reins of the team in the absence of Kohli, he has done exceedingly well, be it in T20Is or ODIs. His record as the Mumbai Indians captain in the Indian Premier League speaks for itself, winning the trophy on three occasions.

The way Rohit has handled the Indian team as stand-in captain in the ongoing Asia Cup has impressed all. He has remained calm and composed in pressure situations and has not allowed the extra burden to affect his batting. In fact, he has become even more consistent as has been witnessed in the four matches in the Asia Cup so far, scoring 269 runs in four innings that included an unbeaten century v Pakistan on Sunday.

He has taken over the mantle of captaincy like a duck to water. His mature way of dealing with the players and the media is indeed in sharp contrast to Kohli. Though split captaincy seems a long shot and looks unlikely at the moment with the World Cup just a few months away, there is no doubt that the selectors would be keen to reduce the burden on Kohli, who is not only the batting mainstay but also the leader in all three formats.

The amount of cricket Kohli plays has started to take a toll on his body. Despite being the fittest among all the Indian players, he has had his share of niggles and time and again has had to skip games, the latest being the Asia Cup.

There are some countries that have opted for two captains, one for red-ball and the other for the white-ball cricket. Such an arrangement could reduce pressure on Kohli, but will he be comfortable with this structure?

He would surely not like his command on the team being reduced. He treasures his relationship with head coach Ravi Shastri and would not like to dilute it. Moreover, it would require tough decisions by the BCCI mandarins and the selectors to convince Kohli to give up white-ball captaincy.

Rohit, nonetheless, continues in his quiet, efficient way to lead the Men in Blue impressively. He has won eight of the nine T20I matches he has led and six of the seven in ODIs. In December 2017, Rohit was named India captain for the first time after Kohli was rested for the limited overs series against Sri Lanka. He won the ODI series 2-1 and then the T20Is 3-0. Rohit also led India in the Nidahas Trophy tri-series in March as Kohli decided to rest again. Rohit came up trumps, helping India win the tournament. Clinching the Asia Cup could well be the icing on the cake.

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