'I'm not a fan': Veteran IND cricketer vehemently rejects BCCI's skipper approach during SA tour

The Indian Cricket Team will be seen in action again in an all-format series against South Africa in December after a successful 4-1 T20I series win against Australia. However, star veterans like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have decided to take a break from white-ball cricket and were absent in the Australia T20I series after the ODI World Cup 2023 final loss. They will only be seen in the white jersey for India in Test matches during the South Africa tour.

3 things you need to know 

• India beat Australia 4-1 in 5 match T20I series 
• Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have opted for a break from white-ball cricket 
• India is set to play an all-format series against South Africa this month 

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Irfan Pathan is not happy with BCCI’s decision of split-captaincy for SA tour 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the roster for the forthcoming South African trip, which will include three T20Is, three ODIs, and two Tests. Notably, a previously overlooked BCCI decision on split captaincy has suddenly drawn fierce objection from former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan. Despite admitting the rationale for the choice, Pathan warned the selection committee about the potential consequences, expressing scepticism about Team India's performance.

The BCCI chose two new captains for T20Is and ODIs in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma, who chose to relax for the white-ball portion of the tour. Suryakumar Yadav retained his captaincy for the T20Is after leading a reformed Team India to a 4-1 T20I series victory over Australia, while KL Rahul was selected captain for the ODIs. However, Rohit Sharma is expected to return for the critical Test series, which begins on December 26.

During a conversation with Star Sports, Irfan Pathan sharply opposed the BCCI's decision to establish a divided captaincy, noting that it contradicts the Indian cricket team's cultural spirit. Irfan Pathan said: 

"This could be a sign for the future, which I am not a big fan of. There has been talk for a long time about whether we can do split captaincy. It's true that workload management has been done here and that is why you are seeing such big squads and different captains. It's clear that Rohit Sharma had to take a break from white-ball cricket, so you are not seeing him there," 

“You are seeing him as the captain for Test cricket. However, you might see these things going forward. You might even see different coaches for different formats. I believe it's better if it doesn't happen in our culture,”

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Will Rohit Sharma play white-ball cricket in the future?

Given the ambiguity surrounding Rohit Sharma's future in T20Is and ODIs, as well as the recent release of the South Africa tour squad suggesting his intention to extend his Test career, the selectors appear to be considering divided captaincy.

In practice, India has already used numerous captains in varied configurations. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya seized leadership of white-ball cricket at the start of this year. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan were also given leadership duties for certain white-ball matches in 2022. This pattern shows that team management has been experimenting with different leadership formats, potentially opening the way for a more formalized divided captaincy system.