Former Australian all-rounder Shane Lee feels the Indian cricketers players are a bit scared under Virat Kohli and therefore, he would have Ajinkya Rahane as the team captain in the longest format instead.
Rahane recently stepped into Kohli’s shoes to led the Indian team to a remarkable 2-1 Test series victory in Australia.
Rahane skippered a battered, bruised and inexperienced Indian side to wins in Melbourne (2nd Test) and Brisbane (4th Test) to become the second Indian captain after Kohli to win a Test series Down Under.
Kohli went back home to Mumbai after the series-opening first Test in Adelaide to be with his pregnant wife Anushka Sharma. But the 31-year-old will return to lead India in the upcoming four-Test series against England starting Feb 5.
“Look, I think for the team he is and I would have him as captain. Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen of all time. But I just feel that he is almost revered by the players within the team.
“They’re almost scare to put a foot out of line. He demanded absolute professionalism from the Indian team. The players had to be fit, they had to great in field and good catching, but they almost appear a bit scared. I just see a really relaxed team under Rahane,” Lee, the older brother of Brett Lee, said.
“Will Kohli give up the captaincy? I doubt it. If I was an Indian selector, and I’m not, but if I was, I would have Rahane captain the team and instead let Kohli go and do all his batting. And I think the team would function a lot better. But time would tell,” Lee, who played 45 ODIs for Australia, added.
