Pakistan’s world cup winning captain Shahid Afridi has urged Virat Kohli to relieve himself of leadership duties from the Test and ODI formats as well after giving up on T20 captaincy since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup. He has said that Kohli would relish the opportunity to play only as a batsman as he would be relaxed without any pressure.
"I think he has been a wonderful force for Indian cricket but I think it would be best if he decided to retire as captain in all formats now," Afridi said on Samaa TV. “I think Virat should take the decision to continue as only a player. There will be relatively less pressure, he has played plenty of cricket too.”
On Rohit Sharma, who has been tipped as the replacement for Kohli as India’s captain, Afridi said that the move was always on the cards and that he has the perfect mix of calmness and aggression on the field based on the requirement of situations.
"As far as Rohit is concerned, this was on the cards. I have played with him for a year (at Deccan Chargers). He is an outstanding player with a terrific shot selection. He stays relaxed where required and shows aggression when needed to as well. We will see both sides," Afridi added.
Rohit has been named India’s captain for the upcoming home series against New Zealand and it seems that a new era of Indian cricket, at least in the shortest format have begun after the end of the T20 World Cup.