KL Rahul may be next in line to be India’s skipper after Virat Kohli, predicts Aakash Chopra

KL Rahul has come a long way since his Test debut in 2014 against Australia, with him transforming from just a middle-order batsman to a mainstay of the Indian limited-overs squad. In recent years, Rahul has established himself as the first name on the teamsheet for the Indian blues, with his consistent performances despite batting at quite a few places across the batting order.

Ahead of the 2020 edition, the right-hander was made as Kings XI Punjab’s skipper after Ravichandran Ashwin was traded to fellow IPL franchise Delhi Capitals. Praising Rahul, former Indian opener Aakash Chopra predicted that the 28-year-old can become the next Indian skipper, taking the baton over from Virat Kohli, as Rahul already has the experience of captaining India this year.

“As they say, a time comes when you have to pass on the baton like MS Dhoni did to Kohli and Kohli will also have to do to someone at some point. When he does that, it is possible that Rahul will be next in line,” Chopra said while responding to fan questions in a video shared on his Facebook page, reported Hindustan Times.

“So, this IPL will show us how KL Rahul will be like a captain but I feel, the manner in which I have seen him play and his temperament, I feel he will be a good captain.”

Chopra also opined that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have moved beyond the age bracket and at one point will become irrelevant in the captaincy race, which would make Rahul the forerunner. However, Rahul must prove that he has adequate skills to become the country’s next skipper. 

“I have hope that his captaincy will be good. Actually, we will get an idea of his captaincy, how he runs the game, what strategies he uses. If we see Kohli and Rohit, they are of the same age bracket and at one time you may feel that they are not captain material anymore,” Chopra added.