Expected Virat Kohli To Lead India When Rohit Sharma Tested Covid Positive: Ravi Shastri

Ex-India head coach Shastri admitted that he expected Virat Kohli to lead India when Rohit Sharma wasn't available for the rescheduled IND vs ENG 5th Test in Birmingham.

The way in which Virat Kohli's captaincy career came to an end in all three formats was quite controversial for cricket fraternity. It did feel like a bad breakup story. It all started with Virat stepping down as the captain of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore and later stepped down from the captaincy of India's international T20 team as well. After this, Kohli was removed as captain of India' ODI team and then the Test team. Kohli till date is India men's cricket team's most successful Test captain.

Team India were 2-1 ahead in Ind vs Eng Test series 2021 when the fifth Test match got rescheduled due to Covid. Later, when India played England in this rescheduled 5th Test in Birmingham in 2022, Jasprit Bumrah led the team back then as Rohit Sharma had tested positive for the dreaded virus. Referring to this, ex-India head coach Shastri admitted that he expected Kohli to lead India when Rohit wasn't available for the rescheduled Birmingham Test.

"I thought he (Kohli) would (lead the side). Once Rohit was injured (positive Covid-19 report), I thought he would be asked. If I was still there, I would've. I'm sure Rahul might have done the same thing; I don't know, I haven't spoken to him, but I would've recommended the board that it's only fair he leads because he was part of the team that was leading 2-1 in the series. And he probably could've gotten the best out of players," Shastri said in an interview on ESPNCricinfo.

When asked whether Kohli would have refused to captain India for the said match, Shastri said Kohli would not have refused at all as it is an honor to be the captain of a national team. 

"Not at all. It's an honour leading your country. These are circumstances where you got to put your best foot forward. Your regular captain is injured, he's not part of the team, so seeing what's at stake, beating England in England, 2-1 up... how many teams beat England and Australia in the same year, overseas?" Shastri further said.