Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim has suggested that Rishabh Pant could be the ideal candidate to become the new vice-captain of India’s Test team. India has yet to name KL Rahul’s successor as vice-captain, following his removal from the position due to his recent run of poor form in the format. However, reports suggest that Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are the front runners for the role.
While India is expected to announce their new vice-captain before the third Test against Australia, Karim believes that the delay in the announcement could be due to Pant’s return. The wicketkeeper-batter has been out of action since a car crash in December 2021, and is not expected to return to cricket until later this year.
“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,” Karim was quoted as saying by India News Sports.
Karim also highlighted the fact that the new vice-captain will likely lead India in the upcoming World Test Championship cycle, which begins in two years. He believes that Jadeja and Pant are the only two real candidates for the role, but noted that Jadeja’s injury history could be a concern.
“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,” Karim said.
Despite being removed from the vice-captaincy, Karim believes that Rahul could still feature in the playing eleven, as India has been winning. “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,” Karim stated.
