Virat Kohli is nearing 32 and doing well as both cricketer-cum-captain. He and the whole Indian team are on an extended break, thanks to the COVID-10 pandemic. He may play for five more years now as a captain-cum-batsman. He has been the team’s captain in Tests since 2014, and for limited-overs for the last few years. With Rohit Sharma too on the threshold of 35, it makes sense to identify another player who can lead the team in the future.
There will come a time when India will have to groom someone else for the job. So, who else could replace Kohli in the long run?
KL Rahul
KL Rahul has shown great progress as a cricketer in limited-overs cricket, although he has lost his place in the Test team. He was set to captain Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2020, which couldn’t be held due to the pandemic. But Rahul has shown he can lead from the front in the rare chance he has got to lead the team in international cricket.
Rahul looks a likely choice of a captain in the future, if he can maintain his consistency and play at the same high intensity he has been doing so far in limited-overs cricket.
Shreyas Iyer
Iyer has found himself strengthening his position as a specialist No 4 in limited-overs for India. He was slowly finding his groove before the pandemic cut short the good run he was having. Nevertheless, he has shown attitude, flair and commitment to play for the team at No 4. He leads Delhi Capital in the IPL and could be groomed for a captaincy career in the Indian team in the future, if he keeps up with his consistency with the bat.
Prithvi Shaw
The young cricketer had a breezy start to his international career, striking a ton in his debut Test as an opener. He then injured himself in the Australia tour Down Under before being banned for doping. He came back for the tour of New Zealand but flattered to deceive. Nevertheless, Prithvi has shown great promise as a batsman. He could also be groomed for captaincy. In fact, he led India to Under-19 World Cup win in 2018.
Cover picture credits: Zee News
