IND vs WI: Rohit Sharma stresses on continuity as Virat Kohli's successor to ODI captaincy

On Sunday, Virat Kohli will be playing under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy for the first time in his international career. With Kohli’s leadership stint across all three formats coming to an end in the space of two months, Sharma is not just in charge of the white-ball teams, but is also considered the frontrunner to become Test captain ahead of the series against Sri Lanka.

The two batting stalwarts haven’t publicly ever said anything to suggest they don’t get along, but reports of a possible rift have done the rounds since the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. These insinuations reached a crescendo when Kohli was removed as ODI captain in December against his will, elevating Sharma to the role for the coveted 2023 World Cup on home soil. 

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While they are equally important to the team as batters, they do have starkly contrasting personalities. Kohli is more in-your-face and impulsive, which was perceived as a drawback in the inherently fast-paced world of limited-overs cricket. Sharma’s calmness, vindicated by his five IPL titles as Mumbai Indians skipper, is seen as a necessary attribute for white-ball captaincy.

Will Sharma’s approach then be very different to Kohli’s?

“When Virat was captaining, I was the vice-captain. So, we went about the team in a similar fashion,” Sharma said on Saturday, facing the media as full-time ODI captain for the first time. “I just have to take it forward from where he left. The players know what is expected of them. We want to continue the same template. I don’t have to come in and do anything drastically different.”

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Kohli had a win percentage of 68.42 as ODI captain, but it is India’s losses in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, 2017 Champions Trophy final and the overall absence of ICC silverware that were held against him. Correction on this front must have been the selectors’ brief for Sharma following his ascension.

“We are good players. It’s just that on certain occasions, a situation will be presented in front of us where we have to change our game a little bit. It’s just about adaptability and being open to doing different things. That is the talk we have had before as well. I will focus on giving players clarity on what is expected of them,” he said.

Sharma was also asked about the imminent possibility of getting Test captaincy. “There is time for that. Let’s focus on what is in front of us, which is three ODIs and T20Is against West Indies.”