Virat Kohli is set to step down as T20I skipper after the upcoming T20 World Cup.© AFP
While Virat Kohli’s decision to relinquish Team India’s captaincy in the shortest format of the game after the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup has left many shell-shocked, former national selector Sarandeep Singh has said that he had an inkling of this, but was surprised by the timing of the decision. “I had an inkling about it, but I didn’t know that he would quit the T20 captaincy before the T20 World Cup. He could have quit the captaincy when the team was being picked for the T20 World Cup.
“Will he even play in the next T20 World Cup in 2022? Perhaps the selectors should speak to him about reconsidering his decision,” the former India off-spinner and selector was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
Sarandeep, who played 3 Tests and 5 ODIs for India, opined that freeing himself from the burden of captaincy will not help Kohli as a batsman.
“I don’t think this move will in anyway help him concentrate on his batting – T20 cricket is more about hitting or slogging than skills, really,” Sarandeep said.
Talking about the timing of Kohli’s decision to step down as the skipper, Sarandeep said the 32-year-old could’ve left the leadership role when the team was being picked for the marquee tournament.
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“If concentrating on his batting is the reason behind it, then he should quit as the ODI captain too, since the next World Cup is in 2023.”
“Ideally, if he wanted to focus on his game, he should have quit the T20 format altogether as a player. What if India wins the T20 World Cup? this decision is hard to understand,” Sarandeep added.
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