Ravi Shastri, the former Indian team director and all-rounder, wants M.S. Dhoni to handover captaincy to the Test captain Virat Kohli, and believes it is right time to make the switch “in the interest of Indian cricket.”
If Kohli is given the captaincy now, he would be able to use his potential to the fullest, and this is the very right time for Kohli to leap at the chance.
Shastri admitted it seems a tough decision to make, but said it would be in the favor of the Indian cricket.
“It’s a catch 22, it’s a hard decision, but I would be thinking about it from now. The game has to evolve, hard decisions have to be taken, such is life.
“And nothing wrong in that, it is in the interest of Indian cricket. If you see down the line and you think Dhoni is still the best captain, keep him as captain. But the issue here is the breaks [between Tests and ODIs], and do you have a guy ready [to succeed Dhoni]. My answer is you have a guy ready.”
Furthermore, Shastri explains “By no stretch of imagination you are taking anything away from Dhoni [by making Kohli captain]. He can still contribute massively as a player. I think the time has come for to allow him to enjoy himself and enjoy the game.
“End of the day, it is about how hungry Dhoni is, how passionate he is, whether the juices still go as in wanting to play for India. Also the time has come where you have a guy whom you have groomed over a period of time. Virat is ready.”
India’s off-spinner Ashwin shares the same notion with the Hindustan Times regarding Kohli’s captaincy. “Virat is a very thorough captain. He does his homework before the game,” Ashwin said.
“We do a lot of team meetings before the game, there’s a lot of honesty around. That gives me the confidence and interest while going out on the field. He gives me enough freedom to express myself and take control of what fields I want to set and how I want to bowl.
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