Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 19 : Indian cricket team's chief selector Ajit Agarkar said KL Rahul was appointed Test vice-captain primarily due to his experience and leadership credentials, having previously captained India in the format.
Agarkar added that the move was not made with a long-term "futuristic" plan in mind, but because Rahul provides stability and leadership support if captain Shubman Gill is unavailable. He also praised Rahul's recent performances in England and the West Indies.
"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, so and lots of experience," Agarkar told the reporters.
Rahul has replaced Rishabh Pant as India's Test vice-captain as the squad was announced for the side's one-off Test and three-match ODI series against Afghanistan on Wednesday.
The one-off Test will begin on June 6, followed by a three-match ODI series starting June 14 in Dharamshala. The second ODI will be played on June 17 in Lucknow, while the series will conclude on June 20 in Chennai.
India squad for one-off Test vs Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudarshan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.
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