Former India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batter Saba Karim has opined that Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja are the “only two candidates” in the Indian team at the moment for the leadership role in Test cricket.
Star opening batsman KL Rahul was recently sacked as India’s Test vice-captain following his poor performances with the bat. He entered the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 against Australia as the deputy of Rohit Sharma. However, after he failed in the first two matches of the series, he was removed from the vice-captaincy role.
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Speaking on India News, Karim said that the young wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who is out of action for an indefinite period due to the injuries he sustained in a fatal car crash last December, is the ideal candidate for the role of vice-captain in the Test team.
“There is a reason why India haven’t named a vice-captain. Everybody is waiting for Rishabh Pant to return. He is an ideal candidate for the post of vice-captain. He was being groomed too. We also need to consider who is going to lead in the WTC cycle that starts in two year,” he said.
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“If you ask me, there are only two candidates at the moment: Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. However, the issue with Jadeja is that he has had some injury issues. Pant, on the other hand, hasn’t had any major injuries. This accident was quite unfortunate, but apart from that, he has always been fit.”
The advantage for KL Rahul is that India have been winning – Saba Karim
Karim said that Rahul being removed from the vice-captaincy role doesn’t mean he will get dropped from the playing XI.
“The signal is very clear that he [KL Rahul] has been removed from the vice-captaincy because his performances haven’t been up to the mark. However, this doesn’t mean that he won’t find a place in the playing XI.
“It’s just that you can only be the vice-captain if you perform well. The advantage for KL Rahul is that India have been winning. Things would have been different had India been trailing 2-0. There wouldn’t have been any hesitation in dropping Rahul from the team,” said Karim.
Meanwhile, Karim further stated that Rahul Dravid-led management is trying to create a secure environment in the team.
“Since Rahul Dravid became the head coach, the team management has focused on creating a secure environment. This is why we have seen that every player has had a lot of opportunities. It happened with the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane as well,” he said.
Also Read: IND vs AUS: Harbhajan Singh Reckons That Ravindra Jadeja Should Serve As India’s Test Vice-Captain
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