Team India has not managed to win a limited-overs title under the leadership of Virat Kohli. This is despite the current captain enjoying a win percentage of 70 in ODIs. The upcoming T20 World Cup could be a deciding factor in this aspect, with the 2023 World Cup scheduled to be held in India. Indian team management anyways has to scout a successor for Virat in the upcoming months. In this article, we take a look at five players who could captain the Indian ODI Team in the future.
1) KL Rahul
KL Rahul is one of the five players who could captain the Indian ODI Team in the future. He is 29 years old and would have the right amount of age and experience to replace Virat in the next few years. Rahul has already established his place in the ODI side, either as an opener or a middle-order batsman. With him in the squad, the management need not worry about a backup wicket-keeper, too.
While Rahul has adequate experience of leading the Punjab Kings in IPL, he has also hung out enough with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma on the field to have good judgment about the role. He is also someone who is calm and is a good team player. Hence, he has an opportunity to lead India in the future.
2) Shreyas Iyer
It would actually not be a surprise if the management starts grooming Shreyas Iyer for the captain’s role very shortly. If the management has to nail down on a long-term option, Iyer seems to be the best bet.
While he has captaincy experience in IPL and domestic competitions, Iyer’s batting form is also at its peak now. He is now facing intense competition for his place in the middle-order, but this is likely to get clarified in the upcoming months. As seen in the IPL, Iyer has the knack of making match-changing decisions and this could help India in the long run.
3) Rishabh Pant
Just a year ago, Rishabh Pant was not even considered to be India’s long-term wicket-keeper. However, right now, many are even seeing him as India’s future captain. The youngster’s stunning form in recent months has led to this.
The management has backed Pant enough with the gloves, and he has also responded well to it. Hence, it would be hard for any newcomer to snatch him off the role. This would mean that the Delhi lad would be part of the team for a very long time. Hence, he ticks the first box to be a captaincy candidate. While he has captaincy experience for Delhi in IPL and the domestic competitions, Pant would be an exciting option to become a captain. He is slightly unorthodox in his approach and this could add a different flavour to India’s style of play.
4) Jasprit Bumrah
Barring Anil Kumble, who captained just one ODI game in his entire career, India has not had a bowler as a skipper for almost two and half decades. ODI is a format where a bowler has to concentrate on his skills while on the field. Hence, they are usually not preferred with the armband.
That said, Jasprit Bumrah could change the trend in the coming years. He is an undroppable figure in the squad, and also has sufficient experience at the highest level. The captaincy experience is not yet there, but if Bumrah can get it, he would certainly be one of the players who could captain the Indian ODI Team in the future.
5) Ishan Kishan
Ishan Kishan is fairly new in his international career, but based on the start he has got, he looks set to have a long one. He belongs to the breed of new-gen Indian cricketers who are fearless and have an attacking mindset.
The Jharkhand wicket-keeper batsman led India well in the 2016 edition of the U19 World Cup. He was the captain of Rishabh Pant in that tournament. Ishan is also the first-choice captain for Jharkhand across all domestic competitions. He has the acumen to pull off the task, and hence, he makes it to this list.
