A Deepening Crisis in Indian Cricket: Leadership Confusion, Selection Missteps, and the Cost of Ignoring Experience

A Deepening Crisis in Indian Cricket: Leadership Confusion, Selection Missteps, and the Cost of Ignoring Experience

Indian cricket has gone through many transitions over the decades, but very few have been as chaotic, confusing, and counterproductive as the one the team has endured in recent years. The sport that once reflected planning, clarity of vision, and strong leadership has slowly slipped into a phase defined by uncertainties and questionable decisions.

The decline didn’t happen overnight. It began with a series of choices that disrupted what was once a stable and dominant Test unit—a team that had risen to the No. 1 ranking, won overseas, and established an almost unbeatable record at home.

This blog attempts to unpack how things reached this point: how leadership changes, inconsistent selection, misplaced experimentation, and unnecessary pressure on young players all contributed to India losing its identity in Test cricket.

1. The First Domino: The Captaincy Miscalculation

The turning point in this downward spiral began when Rohit Sharma was handed the captaincy across formats.

No one denies Rohit’s contributions as a limited-overs batsman. He is one of India’s finest white-ball performers and a respected senior figure. But Test cricket and white-ball cricket demand very different styles of thinking and leadership.

Why the timing was wrong

At the time Rohit was appointed captain, India already had a highly successful Test leader in Virat Kohli. Under Kohli:

India became the world’s No. 1 Test team

India won multiple overseas series

The fitness culture of the team changed dramatically

India created one of its strongest fast-bowling units

Players were crystal clear about their roles

The team played with aggression and identity

Instead of building on this foundation, Indian cricket opted for disruption. Kohli was not only removed from captaincy but was removed at a time when he still had years of prime leadership left in him.

This decision created a vacuum—not in talent, but in direction.

2. The Kohli–Rohit Equivalence Problem

One of the most damaging narratives in Indian cricket was the repeated attempt to project Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as equivalent in Test cricket.

They were great together in white-ball cricket, but their Test credentials were not on the same plane.

Kohli has been India’s backbone in Test cricket for more than a decade.

Rohit, despite strong home performances, did not have the same long-term consistency or overseas presence to be compared directly.

Ignoring this difference affected team identity.

A lost opportunity

When Rohit struggled in Tests and was eventually excluded from the format, the selectors had a golden opportunity to bring back Kohli as captain—someone who had already proven himself as India’s most successful Test leader.

But instead of correcting past errors, administrators repeated them.

They spoke again about “building for the future,” even though the new ideas were neither clear nor effective.

3. The Fragmented Test Side: A Team Without Its Pillars

What followed was the creation of a Test team without its core group. Removing or ignoring experienced players such as:

Virat Kohli

Rohit Sharma

Ravichandran Ashwin

Mohammad Shami

left gaping holes in the lineup.

Experience in Test cricket is not an optional luxury. It is the foundation on which young players stand and grow. But India suddenly fielded an inexperienced squad, with no settled batting order and no clarity on roles.

The cost of excluding experience

India’s dominance at home was built on the consistency of players who understood subcontinental conditions well. Yet, this predictable Indian strength disappeared. Suddenly:

India started losing Test matches at home—an unthinkable scenario

Bowlers didn’t know their roles

Batsmen didn’t know their positions

Matches slipped from winning positions due to indecisive leadership

India, once the most feared home Test team in the world, began looking vulnerable.

4. Mismanagement of Young Players: Talent Burdened Too Early

Every strong cricketing nation protects its young players. India, shockingly, began doing the opposite.

The case of Shubman Gill

Gill had the potential to become India’s next great Test batsman.

But instead of allowing him the space to grow:

He was pushed across formats

Burdened with unnecessary expectations

Played even in T20s where his technique was not naturally aligned

Overloaded physically and mentally

The outcome was predictable—injuries, loss of form, and declining confidence.

5. Confusing Leadership Choices: A Captain Without Experience

Leadership is not just about wearing the armband. It is about understanding:

Match situations

Bowlers’ strengths

Opposition weaknesses

Field placements

Momentum swings in Test cricket

Handing captaincy to Rishabh Pant—who is immensely talented but very young—was a gamble that India did not need.

Why the choice was questionable

There were more senior, calmer, and experienced candidates:

Ravindra Jadeja

KL Rahul

Both had captained before. Both understood Test cricket better.

But the decision-makers chose Pant, increasing pressure on a player who already carried the responsibility of being a wicketkeeper-batsman.

6. The Unexplained Removal of Mohammad Shami

Another confusion-filled decision was dropping Mohammad Shami without giving any credible explanation.

Shami has been one of India’s finest red-ball bowlers—accurate, relentless, and lethal with reverse swing.

Removing such a player during a transition phase weakened the bowling unit drastically.

Even Bumrah, one of the best in the world, cannot carry the workload of an entire attack alone.

7. Overburdening Jasprit Bumrah: A Disaster India Should Have Seen Coming

Bumrah became the solution to every problem. Swing? Bumrah. Death overs? Bumrah. Breakthrough? Bumrah. Crisis? Bumrah.

This over-reliance led to:

Exhaustion

Frequent injuries

Reduced effectiveness in long spells

Fast bowlers need rotation, support, and workload management. Bumrah, instead, got the opposite.

8. The Endless Debut Parade: A Team Without Identity

Instead of fixing the structure, the selectors began introducing a new debutant almost every Test series.

While fresh talent is essential, mindless experimentation is harmful.

Players were given:

No stable batting positions

No clarity on roles

No time to settle

No consistency in selection

Even the captain appeared confused about bowling changes, field settings, and match strategy.

How can a team grow when it doesn’t even know what its playing XI will look like?

9. The Result: A Decline That Was Avoidable

India’s current struggles are not due to a lack of talent.

They stem from:

Poor leadership decisions

Removal of experienced players

Unstructured experimentation

Unnecessary pressure on youngsters

No fixed combinations

Inability to plan long-term

The biggest tragedy is that this decline was avoidable.

India had the players. India had the experience. India had the momentum.

What it lacked was clear thinking.

10. What Indian Cricket Needs to Reclaim Its Identity

If Indian cricket wants to rise again—and it absolutely can—it must rebuild its foundations with clarity.

A. Restore leadership stability

Test cricket needs an experienced, calm, knowledgeable leader who understands the format deeply.

B. Reinstate and respect senior players

You cannot remove pillars and expect the roof to stand.

C. Give young players stability

No forced T20 roles.

No rushing into captaincy.

No unnecessary experiments.

D. Manage fast bowlers’ workloads

Rotate, don’t exhaust.

Support, don’t burden.

E. Transparent selection policies

Players should not be dropped without explanations.

F. Build a stable Test core

Pick a group of 14–16 players and stick with them for at least three series.

Conclusion: Indian Cricket Must Rediscover Its Soul

Cricket is not just about talent—it is about planning, stability, and identity.

India once possessed all three. But today, the team finds itself navigating uncertainty created by avoidable choices.

However, the story is not over. India still has one of the strongest pools of cricketing talent in the world. With the right decisions, the right leadership, and the right structure, the team can return to its dominant best.

But that will require introspection, humility, and the courage to admit past mistakes.