Former India coach Ravi Shastri thinks that resignation from captaincy may allow Virat Kohli to play more freely, which might be a blessing in disguise. Shastri, who worked closely with Kohli as a team's head coach, believes that stepping down as captain was a wise option, but that Kohli should have remained India's Test captain.
'To be honest, I believe [giving up captaincy] could be a blessing in disguise. The pressures of captaincy were lifted from his shoulders, as were the expectations that come with being captain. He has the freedom to go out, express himself, and play freely, and I believe he will,' he told ESPNCricinfo. 'I think the most important thing is for him not to be concerned about his own performances; he's done enough in world cricket for people to know where he stands. I think the key is for him to want to enjoy himself out there. It's a case of telling yourself, 'I want to go there, express myself, and enjoy myself.'"
Shastri had previously stated that the IPL 2022 will provide an opportunity for several players to establish themselves as potential captains of the Indian cricket team. He also praised India captain Rohit Sharma, stating that he has been doing an outstanding job. However, he added that India would be looking at a future captain as well.
'Virat has already stepped down; Rohit is an outstanding white-ball captain; but I think this IPL India will be looking at who will be captaining the team (in the future) — there's Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul,' he said at a press conference hosted by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the IPL 2022, on Tuesday.