KL Rahul can be groomed as future India captain, says Sunil Gavaskar

Virat Kohli, on Thursday, September 16, officially announced that he will step down from T20I captaincy after the upcoming T20 World Cup in the UAE. Rohit Sharma, the five-time IPL winning captain, who has also won 15 of the 19 T20Is while leading India in Kohli’s absence is set to take over the role. 

Meanwhile, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly revealed that Kohli’s decision was made considering the future roadmap.

Sunil Gavaskar acknowledged that it was important to look ahead, and believes that KL Rahul should be groomed as future India captain. Gavaskar said that Rahul, who currently leads the Punjab Kings outfit at the IPL, could be appointed India's T20I vice-captain.

“It’s a good thing that the BCCI is looking ahead. It’s important to think ahead,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.

“If India are looking to groom a new captain, then KL Rahul can be looked at. He has performed well. Even now in England, his batting was very good. He has been performing well in IPL and 50-overs cricket as well at the international stage. He can be made vice-captain.”

While Rahul hasn’t quite enjoyed great success as an IPL captain in terms of results, he has thrived as a batsman in the role. The 29-year-old finished as the leading run-scorer in the 2020 edition, with 670 runs at an average of 55.83, and currently stands second behind Shikhar Dhawan in the 2021 season, with 331 runs from seven innings at 66.20.

Gavaskar, who led India in 47 Tests and 37 ODIs, pointed out that Rahul’s batting wasn’t affected by the added responsibility, as he praised his leadership skills.

“He has shown very impressive leadership qualities in the IPL. He hasn’t let the burden of captaincy affect his batting. His name can be taken into consideration,” he said.