Would have preferred Virat Kohli as captain when Rohit got injured in England, remarks Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri has stated that he would have preferred Virat Kohli in the role of the skipper for the fifth Test against England last year when Rohit Sharma missed the game due to Covid-19. He further added that it would have been best considering India had a chance to register an overseas victory.
Ever since Virat Kohli resigned from the captaincy duties of the Indian team last year, his captaincy often becomes a point of discussion amongst cricket circles. The star Indian batter has captained Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2023 so far and RCB have managed to win four matches in his tenure. Notably, when India toured England for the fifth Test against England and Rohit was affected by Covid, many expected Kohli to take over the captaincy.Â
Ravi Shastri recently revealed that he would have also preferred Kohli to take over the leadership role instead of Jasprit Bumrah who was made the skipper for the game.Â
“I thought he (Kohli) would (lead the side). Once Rohit was injured (Covid-19 infection), I thought he would be asked. If I were still there, I would’ve. I’m sure Rahul (Dravid) might have done the same thing; I don’t know, I haven’t spoken to him, but I would’ve recommended to the board that it’s only fair he leads because he was part of the team that was leading 2-1 in the series. And he probably could’ve gotten the best out of players,” Shastri told ESPN Cricinfo.
Shastri further elaborated that India should have opted for the best move with an opportunity to register a Test win overseas on the line.Â
“Not at all. It’s an honour leading your country. These are circumstances where you got to put your best foot forward. Your regular captain is injured, he’s not part of the team, so seeing what’s at stake, beating England in England, 2-1 up… how many teams beat England and Australia in the same year, overseas?” he added.Â