‘Three captains for three formats complicates things’ – Aakash Chopra urges India to avoid split captaincy

‘Three captains for three formats complicates things’ – Aakash Chopra urges India to avoid split captaincy (Source :Twitter)

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra feels the Indian cricket team should not delegate different captains for different formats. Recent reports suggest that India might opt for split captaincy on a permanent basis. However, Chopra noted that continuity plays a major role in cricket unlike that in football where it does not really hold a lot of weightage.

“A captain has a massive role. There are many team sports where the captain’s role is limited. Football, for example, very limited role. It’s the manager who manages the game from outside. Cricket is not like that. Cricket is a very intuitive game. You cannot spoon-feed a captain there. In such a scenario, you want a little continuity,” stated Chopra in a video on his YouTube channel.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also suggested that even two skippers could be practical, but advised three would be excessive.

“Generally, you have a Test captain and a separate white-ball captain. I can still understand two captains. However, three captains for three formats, then it complicates a few things because there will be an overlap somewhere or other in the three formats,” he added.

He felt that players having to adapt to differeent ideologies would not be effective.

“If you see, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are playing Tests and ODIs, and Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are playing all three formats, and suddenly you realise that there is a lot of overlap. If the players are overlapping and the captain changes every time and goes with a different thought process, it leads to dilution,” Chopra observed.

India currently have three different captains for different formats: Shubman Gill in Tests, Rohit Sharma in ODIs and Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is. Rohit, though, has retired from T20Is (after the T20 World Cup 2024) and Tests (before the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy).

The Men in Blue recently drew 2-2 against England in the recent five-match series under Gill’s captaincy. They will next play in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Disclaimer: This latest news is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.