'Why not Virat Kohli given Test captaincy again?' - MSK Prasad opens up on India's captaincy concerns

Former India chief selector, MSK Prasad, questioned the selectors for not considering Virat Kohli for the Test captaincy role again. Rohit Sharma is currently leading the Indian team in the longest format of the game after Kohli stepped down in January 2022 following their away series defeat to South Africa. Prior to this, he had resigned as the limited-overs captain and was henceforth removed as the ODI captain.

When asked if Hardik Pandya would be India's white-ball captain in the future and if Rohit would continue to lead the Test team, Prasad answered with doubtfulness. According to the former cricketer, the mindset of the selectors will most likely be with the new World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. Notably, Hardik has been named captain for the upcoming T20 series against the West Indies, as well as vice-captain for the ODIs.

“I don’t know if I can answer this question. I don’t know the mindset of the selectors. Usually the mindset of the selectors should be now with the WTC cycle it should be a clear cycle, that’s how the mindset should be," Prasad said during an exclusive interview with Khel Now.

If selectors are thinking beyond Rohit, then I think Virat can also be an option: Prasad

Prasad said that why Kohli cannot be chosen as captain again, giving Ajinkya Rahane as an example who made a stunning comeback to become the Test side's vice-captain, when asked about the chances of the young all-rounder taking over for Rohit as captain. The 48-year-old continued by saying that Kohli will be the favourite, if the selectors are looking beyond Rohit.

“Why not Virat Kohli? When Ajinkya Rahane can come back and become the vice-captain, then why not Virat Kohli? I don’t know what the mindset of Virat is on captaincy. In case selectors are thinking beyond Rohit, I don’t know whether they are thinking but if they are thinking beyond Rohit, then I think Virat can also be an option," the former cricketer added.

Virat Kohli is currently in the Caribbean nation to feature in India's multi-format series against the West Indies. India's tour will kick off with a two-match Test series, which will be played in Dominica and Trinidad. The former India captain, who is known for his remarkable skills and relentless dedication to the game, is expected to play a substantial role in the forthcoming series.