Virat Kohli’s Indian cricket team lost in the final of the ICC World Test Championship against New Zealand and there are calls that he must be replaced as captain.
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When the Indian cricket team lost in the final of the ICC World Test Championship to New Zealand, fans vented their fury on social media. Once again, there was a divide among the fans as to what should be the solution to India’s constant stumbling in major ICC events. One section called for the sacking of Virat Kohli as captain. This was the third ICC event that India had lost in the knock-out stages. Under Kohli, India lost the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy to Pakistan. In the 2019 ICC World Cup, India lost to New Zealand in the semi-final in addition to the ICC World Test Championship in 2021.
The calls for Kohli to give up captaincy has grown after every ICC finals loss. If one takes out Kohli‘s captaincy, then India has lost in the knock-out stages under MS Dhoni three times in 2014, 2015 and 2016. Are the calls to remove Kohli from captaincy in the aftermath of the ICC World Test Championship final justified?
If one look at Virat Kohli and his performances with the bat in the ICC knock-out events, it is a sorry tale. Ever since his fifty in the 2016 ICC World T20, Kohli’s returns have been poor. In the Champions Trophy final in 2017, he managed just five runs against Pakistan. The Indian skipper was dismissed for 1 in the 2019 ICC World Cup semi-final. In the ICC World Test Championship final, Kohli fell for 44 and 13.
It is this current ‘lean patch’ that has made the voice louder. Kohli has not hit an international century since November 2019. His last ODI century came in August 2019. In the last two years, Kohli’s Test average is just 24. In ODIs, it is 46.6 but such is his high standard that the lack of centuries is telling. Since Kohli has an average of 59 in ODIs, an average of 46 seems sub-standard due to his superhigh benchmark.
Every single time, the Indian cricket fan goes into a kneejerk reaction when they lose a final. The clarion calls increase for Kohli to be sacked as captain after a loss. But, is that the solution? The broader picture is been overlooked. India has not lost a series at home under Kohli’s captaincy. The only problem for India seems to be the SENA countries, with the exception of Australia.
Kohli became the first captain to win a series in Australia in 2018. In 2020, he played the only Test that India lost but Ajinkya Rahane steadied the ship and ensured India won Down Under for the second time. India has won bilateral series in most countries, except Australia and New Zealand in the last couple of years in ODIs. In this entire period, New Zealand has been India’s bogey, be it ODIs or Tests.
When it comes to bilateral cricket series, Kohli’s record is remarkable. But, in ICC events, it is heartbreaking. It is this discrepancy that has made Indian fans polarized. Kohli will turn 33 in November 2021 and he probably has 4-5 years of good cricket in him.
A clear picture might emerge after the end of the five-Test series against England. A win for India might make the road easier for Kohli. If India win the ICC World T20 in the UAE, then the pressure will ease. The England series plus the ICC World T20 from this point on will give Kohli plenty to ponder.
Once the ICC World T20 finishes, Kohli might want to groom the youngsters and prepare the future roadmap for India. If India does well in the ICC World T20 and against England, there is no reason as to why Virat Kohli cannot continue as captain until the 2023 ICC World Cup in India. Perhaps, a definitive call will be made in 2023 when the ICC World Cup ends.
The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane will be on their last legs in international cricket. With both Rohit and Kohli managing their injuries, it will be a test against time regarding their fitness. Kohli and Rohit will definitely play 2023, but whether Kohli will be captain will all depend on how he performs in England 2021 and the ICC World T20.
A loss in both England and ICC World T20 might signal the end of Kohli’s captaincy. Perhaps, at that time, India might want to look for some suitable alternatives in Rohit in ODIs, T20Is as well as Rahane in Tests.
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