5 possible replacements for Virat Kohli as India’s T20I captain

Virat Kohli announced that he'll step down as India's T20I captain after the T20 World Cup 2021.

Virat Kohli shocked the cricketing world by announcing that he will step down as India’s T20I captain after the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 which will be played in the UAE and Oman from October 17 onwards.

This comes as a huge update given that the BCCI had confirmed a few days ago that Virat Kohli was to captain India in all formats of the game for the foreseeable future. However, Kohli, in his announcement on social media, stated that he is taking this decision after careful deliberation and to focus on his batting in the format.

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Kohli mentioned that he will remain available for selection in T20I format as a batsman.

But now speculations are rife as to who will succeed Virat Kohli as India T20I captain given that 2022 will also have a T20 World Cup on the calendar to be played in Australia.

Therefore, Team COC presents 5 possible replacements for Virat Kohli as India’s T20I captain  

SHREYAS IYER

Shreyas Iyer has loads of experience of captaining sides be it his domestic team Mumbai or India A and he also led the Delhi Capitals to the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2020) edition in UAE last year. Iyer has been impressive with his leadership style and giving players the freedom to express themselves.

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Iyer might not have found a place in the main India squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021, but has been placed in the reserve players’ list and the right-hander has already been piped as the next India captain in one of the three formats by many experts given his cool demeanor and excellent strategic thinking.    

R ASHWIN

Tamil Nadu off-spinner R Ashwin has been often called one of the most intelligent cricketers in the world today. He analyses the game to minute details and is known to plan his strategies well in advance on how to get batsmen out.

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Ashwin was named the Punjab Kings captain and led the franchise in two seasons, and though the team failed to make it into the playoffs both seasons, Ashwin was praised for his captaincy and player management. He has recently made a comeback into India's 2021 T20 World Cup squad and can be an out-of-the-box option to lead India in the shortest format of the game.

RISHABH PANT

If the BCCI selection committee is thinking of looking for a long-term option to lead the Indian team, look no further than wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. Pant has captained his domestic side Delhi in the past and recently took over as Delhi Capitals (DC) IPL team in the IPL 2021 edition after Shreyas Iyer got injured before the first half of the season.

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Pant then captained the team brilliantly with guidance from the coaching staff and senior players and it resulted in DC reigning at the top spot of the IPL 2021 points table with 6 wins in 8 matches. Pant has shown great aptitude for leadership, to go along with his carefree attitude as well, which is something that goes with his personality.    

KL RAHUL

One of the most logical choices to take over from Virat Kohli as the next India T20I captain would be KL Rahul. The Karnataka batsman has long been seen as the next captain of the Indian team in international cricket and has led the Punjab Kings (PBKS) well in the past two seasons of the IPL.

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KL Rahul already has experience of leading India in a T20I match, though unofficially as he took over from Rohit Sharma in the fifth T20I against New Zealand last year after Rohit injured his hamstring while batting, and Rahul marshaled the troops as India defended the total. He impressed all with his leadership style and can be a long-term option to captain the national side.

ROHIT SHARMA

The first and foremost option to take over as India T20I captain is Rohit Sharma, who is the vice-captain as well. Rohit, 34, has captained India as a stand-in leader on multiple occasions, even leading India to the 2018 Nidahas T20 tri-series victory in Sri Lanka.

Apart from that, Rohit is a proven captain in the T20 format, winning the IPL with the Mumbai Indians five times. He won the IPL in 2013 during his first stint as MI captain when he took over from Ricky Ponting after a couple of matches into the tournament.

Madan Lal bats for Rohit Sharma to replace Virat Kohli as India's next T20I captain

Rohit is calm and cool while leading the team and as an opener, leads from the front. He trusts his players to do their jobs and if and when needed guides them towards the right direction if they stray away from the plans.