I feel all such discussions are quite unnecessary: Saba Karim on debates over Virat Kohli’s captaincy

After the recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy, many cricket experts opined that Ajinkya Rahane should be made the captain of the Test side. They believe it would help in easing captain Virat Kohli from some pressure.

But former wicket-keeper batsman and national selector, Saba Karim thinks otherwise. He also claims that this whole discussion is not necessary, and it is a pleasure for the Board to have two of the finest cricketers who can lead the side,

“To be honest, I feel all such discussions are quite unnecessary. We should feel blessed because we have 2 senior players who can lead the side: Virat Kohli as captain and Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain. And it is good to have diverse personalities in a team as leaders,” Saba Karim told Sportskeeda.

Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane might well differ in their style of captaining, but both deliver promising results and can stand as a testament to their credential.

“One lead with so much aggression, the other is very calm but the result is the same and both are extremely effective. They know how to handle tough situations and how to inspire their colleagues and that's what India needs at this stage,” he added.

The selectors must have constant interactions with the captain.

“At the same time, I feel that it is equally important for the selectors to have this constant engagement with Virat in the terms of his responsibilities as a captain in all three formats. You have to allow that kind of space to a player like Virat Kohli who has led the side with distinction for so many years,” he said.

“Is he comfortable leading all three formats? Because this is the year we play the T20 World Cup, we have the ODI World Cup coming up, plus the Test matches are now part of a World Test series. Is he happy with the kind of responsibility that is given to him?”

Karim further explains that this can be discussed within the team management and they will come up with a solution. “If you have this kind of conversation with the captain, I am sure Virat, Rahane, and the team management will come up with the right kind of solution to ease the pressure on Virat.”

[Sportskeeda input]