Virat Kohli-s decision to step down as the T20I captain after the upcoming T20 world cup has evoked varied reactions. Former chief selector and part of the 1983 world cup winning squad, Sandeep Patil, has praised Kohli for unloading some of his duties.
The 65-year-old said it-s -not an easy job- to concentrate both on batting and captaining the side. In an interview with Times of India, Patil asserted that Kohli-s decision will 100 percent help him focus more on his batting.
Earlier this week, when reports first surfaced of Kohli thinking of leaving the limited-overs captaincy, it was outrightly denied by BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal, who said the 32-year-old will continue to lead the side in all three formats even after the T20 world cup.
-It seems that there-s a big communication gap between BCCI and Virat. You can-t have Virat say one thing and the BCCI another,- he told Times of India. -This is purely Virat-s decision, and the BCCI should just accept it.-
After Kohli decided to leave the T20 captaincy, many are looking at Rohit Sharma as the next skipper of the shortest format. The 34-year-old also has an unmatchable record in the Indian Premier League (IPL) where Rohit has successfully led Mumbai Indians to five title wins.
Patil also believes that Rohit has proved his mettle. -I feel that he-s a fit choice to replace Virat as the T20 captain,- he said.
The upcoming T20 world cup will be played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman from October 17 to November 14.