Dhoni, Kohli, Gambhir or Sehwag – Who will make a better India Captain in 2013

With all the talk of reducing the pressure on Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy by appointing multiple captains for the three formats – Tests, ODIs &T20s – what format should remain with Dhoni, and what should be forwarded to the other potentials in team India. Will Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir or Virender Sehwag do a better job – if so, in what format?

Tarot tells us whom out of the four will be best suited to lead the team in 2013.

If Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains the Test captain, he will undergo immense strain and insecurity. Despite this he is still looking quite comfortable to continue as the Test captain as there is true self-belief of this being just a phase. His Test captaincy will improve from May 2013. As an ODI captain, Dhoni will excel and handle the pressures of captaincy very well. His change in approach will see him do well, especially outside India. T20 will be a tougher challenge for Dhoni in 2013. He will not be able to execute his ideas as quickly as required and will therefore feel stifled.

Virat Kohli is currently not in the right place to be handling Test captaincy. The cards have clearly state that despite some successes, he will take too long to ease into such a role. As an ODI captain his own performance will be inconsistent, but yet he will prove his captaincy with proud achievements for the team. T20 captaincy will suit him well – he will work out strong plans and coordinate well with his team to string through wins. He will have the right temperament for this in 2013.

Gautam Gambhir has fantastic cards for being the Test & T20 captain, but at the same time, his frame of mind will not be able to justify two responsibilities. Therefore with the Test captaincy cards being the strongest, he will excel well and create a better strong hold for India in this format. Making him the ODI captain is not looking like a sensible move, especially as he will not be able to get his ideas to manifest successfully.

Virender Sehwag has a tough 2013 ahead. He will need to control and channelise his aggression better to see his run flow be more consistent. The cards currently do not favour him to captain any format. 2014 is when he will rise on top of his game and be a more successful player for team India.

Therefore, according to Tarot, if changes must be made to Captaincy in 2013, then this is the recommendation:

Test Captain: Gautam Gambhir

ODI Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

T20 Captain: Virat Kohli


~Shruti Chopra
www.facebook.com/itstarot