Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli
Amid the hullabaloo regarding the possibility of split captaincy, ex-chief selector Kiran More feels there will come a time when India skipper Virat Kohli passes the baton to his deputy Rohit Sharma, at least in one format of the game.
While Kohli continues to deliver across all three formats, the management may ponder over split captaincy owing to the jam-packed schedule of the Indian team. More said that captaining all three teams isn't an easy task and backed Rohit to get a chance in the near future.
"I think the vision of the board drives these things. I believe Rohit Sharma will get a chance soon. Virat Kohli is a shrewd captain who played under MS Dhoni. How long he wants to captain the ODIs and T20s, he will also think. You will learn a lot more about these decisions after the England tour," More told India TV in an exclusive interaction.
"It [Split captaincy] can work in India. What the senior players think about the Indian team's future is very important. With Virat Kohli, captaining three teams isn't that easy plus he has to perform as well. And I give him the credit for it because performing in every format while captaining and winning... but, I think there will be a time when Virat Kohli will say 'Now it's enough, let Rohit lead the side."
Ajinkya Rahane had led the Indian side when Kohli was on paternity leave during the Australia tour earlier this year. In the case of Kohli being unavailable during a white-ball assignment, Rohit becomes the automatic choice for the captaincy.
More said Kohli will set an example if he hands the reins over to Rohit and described the process as a healthy one. "That will be very healthy actually. And this is a huge message for Indian cricket which will go on and on for generations. It's about respect that if Rohit Sharma is doing good he should be given a chance.
"I think Virat Kohli will set a great precedent if he does that. The future will hinge on his decision - how much rest he wants if he wants to captain the Test team or the ODI team. He's a human too, his mind gets tired also," said More.
Members of the Indian contingent are currently serving a 14-day quarantine in Mumbai ahead of the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton from June 16 and the subsequent five-Test series in England.
The Indian team is scheduled to depart for the United Kingdom on June 2 and is then expected to serve a 10-day mandatory quarantine period.
