MS Dhoni (left) and Virat Kohli, the current ODI and Test captain of India respectively © Getty Images
MS Dhoni said, somewhat sarcastically, in the post-match press conference after the second One-Day International (ODI) between India and Bangladesh that he was open to the idea of stepping aside as captain if it would benefit the team. Shiamak Unwalla feels that the idea may actually hold some merit. READ: India were comprehensively outclassed by Bangladesh; no fluke involved
That MS Dhoni is India’s most successful captain of all time cannot be disputed. He has more wins than any other Indian captain, while his temperament and man-managing abilities have been hailed almost unanimously by his teammates. He has been at the helm of Indian cricket since his appointment as captain in 2007, and barring a poor overseas Test record toward the end of his stint, he has done wonders for Indian cricket. READ: India’s overseas woes touch new lows with series defeat to Bangladesh
Virat Kohli is the heir-apparent, and has talked in the past about his close relationship with Dhoni. He is already the Test captain, and has spoken about his plans for India once he takes charge. Given Dhoni’s excellent fitness standards, it is not likely that he will retire from ODIs any time soon. As such, it could be a while till Kohli takes over as India’s undisputed leader. READ: Virat Kohli’s recent ODI form is a worrying aspect for India
However, it may make sense for Dhoni to take a back seat and let Kohli start to lead under his guidance. If Kohli takes over as India’s ODI captain with Dhoni still very much a part of the side, he will be able to bring about his vision for India while still getting the help and support of Dhoni’s tranquil head on the field. Kohli is prone to showing agitation on the field, and one feels that with Dhoni there to calm him down Kohli will only blossom into the captain India needs him to be. READ: Is Virat Kohli a cheat? Bangladesh umpire Sharfuddoula seems to think so!
Additionally, with the burden of captaincy off his shoulders, Dhoni can focus on his batting by coming in at No. 4 to control the innings in the middle overs. Ever since taking over as captain, he took on the responsibility of playing finisher, thereby forgoing his “Ranchi Rambo” persona in favour of a far more subdued role. If he is freed from the burden of captaincy, he could go back to the carefree juggernaut he once was. READ: MS Dhoni could consider batting higher up the order against Bangladesh
Another reason it would make sense for Dhoni to bow out as captain will be to increase his life as an international cricketer. The rigours of captaining, keeping wickets, and batting in nearly every game is enough to cause even the fittest of men to burn out too early. Players like Kumar Sangakkara and Brendon McCullum flourished with the bat after giving up at least one — if not both — aspects of their game to focus on the others. Dhoni is good enough to play as a pure batsman in ODIs, but by making him keep wickets India have the luxury of experimenting with another all-rounder. This option gets taken away if someone like Wriddhiman Saha has to be accommodated. READ: Ravichandran Ashwin needs better spin partners
India’s upcoming season will be the ideal time to put Kohli in the driver’s seat. It might even make sense for Kohli to captain India in ICC World T20 2016, with Dhoni potentially batting higher up the order and unfurling his old aggressive batting. Dhoni’s chance sarcastic remark actually made sense. It is up to the management to take a call now. MS Dhoni’s tactics and team changes don’t seem to work
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)