"Not The Next In Line": Ex-India Star's Blunt Take On KL Rahul's Vice-Captaincy
In May this year, KL Rahul replaced Rishabh Pant as India's Test vice-captain.
- KL Rahul replaced Rishabh Pant as India's Test vice-captain in May this year
- Aakash Chopra questioned Rahul's appointment due to his age being eight years senior to captain Shubman Gill
- "If he is doing the vice-captaincy for a 26-year-old captain, he is not the next in line. That is the reality"
Former India batter Aakash Chopra has questioned the BCCI selection committee's move to hand the Test vice-captaincy to KL Rahul. Rishabh Pant held the position earlier, but the selectors came up with the new appointment in May this year. While responding to a fan's query in a video on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that a vice-captain should either be of the same age as the captain or younger. In a blunt verdict, he added that Rahul is not going to be named the India captain after Gill, as the former is around eight years older than the skipper.
"I am with you on this one. I have never thought from that perspective. You think about a vice-captain from what perspective? That he is next in line, that if the captain goes, the second one will come, but the second should either be of the same age or younger," Chopra said.
"If you are making a vice-captain who is eight years older than the captain, as good as KL Rahul is, he is a good captaincy candidate, he has got a good cricketing brain, but he is not getting younger. If he is doing the vice-captaincy for a 26-year-old captain, he is not the next in line. That is the reality," he added.
The change in vice-captaincy was announced when India released the squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan.
Speaking on the appointment, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had then said, "I mean, KL's been Test captain before. Yeah, I mean obviously Rishabh was vice-captain, and we want him to be the best batter that he can be and that he's always been in Test cricket. So, no, there's no other reason.
"Futuristic, I mean that's the best option we think at this point that we have as far as vice-captain with experience, in case we saw during the South Africa series as well, when Shubman got injured, and KL provides us with the necessary experience that you need in case the situation arises. Plus, you know he's obviously had a really good tour of England and against the West Indies, and lots of experience."
India Cricket Team
KL Rahul
Rishabh Pant