On January 17, the Board of Control for Cricket in India shared some pictures on Twitter, showing the Indian men's team in a huddle during a training session at Boland Park, ahead of the first ODI against South Africa.
Routine, really. But what caught the eye of the netizens was a certain Virat Kohli in the players' huddle listening intently while 'captain' K.L. Rahul and coach Rahul Dravid spoke. It was a “role reversal” for the former India captain who was sacked as the ODI captain last month. Kohli had stepped down as the T20 captain in November and also relinquished Test captaincy last week.
Though Rohit Sharma was made the skipper for the white-ball formats, he had to pull out of the SA series because of an injury. Rahul will take over the reins in his absence.
Change of role for Kohli
For someone who has led India with aplomb across formats, and who harboured hopes of leading India in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Kohli seems to have accepted the change in the pecking order gracefully, putting the country before everything else. Kohli's win percentage of above 70 in ODIs might be hard to match for Sharma, but if the latter can win India the elusive ICC trophy next year, the percentages will take a backseat.
Kohli's presence in the Indian playing XI as a mere player for the first time in seven years will be keenly followed while his potential successor in red-ball cricket, Rahul, will be judged for his captaincy in the three-match ODI series, starting on Wednesday.
Whether he is batting in the middle or fielding at the boundary line, Kohli's every move is tracked, but some of that attention will now have to be shared by Rahul.
More importantly, will Kohli be at his usual animated best on the field or will the cricketing world see a rather subdued Kohli after his stunning resignation from Test captaincy brought an end to his innings as official leader of the team across formats?
He did not want to leave ODI captaincy after relinquishing the role in the shortest format and it led to a war of words with the BCCI on how the entire matter was handled. His supporters and Indian cricket in general will be hoping that Kohli has put his differences with the BCCI firmly behind him and come Wednesday, he starts a new innings with his willow doing most of the talking. A highly desired century after two years would be cherry on top.
Rahul, who is leading the side in the absence of an injured Rohit Sharma, is expected to turn to Kohli for advice during the series. Not only Kohli has a major role to play as a batter, but as vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah said on the eve of the series, the star "will always be a leader" in the team.
Mission 2023
With the new leadership and support staff, India will look to win the series with one eye on preparations for the 2023 World Cup and also make up for the disappointment of unexpectedly going down in the Tests last week. It will be the first ODI series for Dravid, too, since taking over as the full-time head coach of Team India in November last year.
Rahul is expected to open alongside Shikhar Dhawan, in the absence of Sharma. So, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made the squad following an exceptional domestic season, will have to wait longer for his ODI debut. It will be crucial three games for the seasoned Dhawan, who has already lost his place in the T20 side and will be looking to solidify his position as the first-choice opener alongside Sharma when the latter returns from injury.
Kohli will bat at his usual number three spot while there will be a toss-up between Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer for the number four position. Rishabh Pant is expected to come at number five.
All eyes will be on Venkatesh Iyer, who is set to make his 50-over debut as the all-rounder at six, having shown promise in the T20s against New Zealand. Iyer is also seen being as the sixth bowling option – an alternative to Hardik Pandya, who has not been bowling regularly off late after a back injury.
The two spinners likely to play are Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, who has made a comeback after more than four years. With the 2023 World Cup to be played in India, Ashwin is in the scheme of things, and a good outing against the Proteas will do him a world of good.
India's pace battery
The three-match series will also put India's pace bowling department to test. Jasprit Bumrah will spearhead the attack, and will have the experienced, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, for company. The third pacer's slot will see Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Prasidh Krishna battling it out. Mohammed Siraj, who injured his hamstring during the Test series, is also fit as suggested by Bumrah on Monday. A nice headache to have for the captain and coach.
On the previous tour, India hammered the hosts 5-1 in ODIs. This time around, the Men in Blue are a team in transition and the South Africans are on a high after clinching the Test series 2-1. But if Kohli the Batter decides to turn up, well....
