KL Rahul, the India stand-in ODI skipper on Tuesday said that it would be a huge responsibility for him if he is made the Test captain.
India and South Africa will lock horns in a three-match ODI series, with the first match set to be played on Wednesday in Paarl. Earlier, the Proteas had defeated India 2-1 in the Test series.
KL Rahul Feels It Would Be A Huge Responsibility If Test Captaincy Is Given To Him
KL Rahul had replaced Rohit Sharma as skipper for the upcoming ODI series after the Hitman was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah will serve as KL Rahul’s deputy in the series. Rohit Sharma has already been appointed captain in both white-ball formats and since he has faced quite a few fitness issues of late, KL Rahul’s name emerged as a strong contender for the job.
“I had not given it a thought till the names came out, till the articles or news have been doing the rounds. Obviously, I had the opportunity to lead the Test side in Johannesburg and it was really special. The result did not go our way but it was a great learning experience for me and it would be something I will always be proud of,” Rahul said during a virtual press conference.
“Leading the country is always special for anyone and I am no different. Yes, it would be a huge responsibility if given to me (being the Test captain). It is something that is exciting, I am not really looking to anything forward, I am just focusing on the present,” he added.
KL Rahul’s comments come days after Virat Kohli announced his decision to stand down as India’s Test captain.
Virat Kohli holds the record for most Test appearances as India Test captain (68) and he also holds the record for most Test wins by an Indian captain (40). Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches than Virat Kohli as captain in Test cricket.
Last year, Virat Kohli had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI skipper after the selectors wanted to have just one captain for the white-ball formats.
Marco Jansen And Venkatesh Iyer Debuted In The 1st ODI
In the 1st ODI, South Africa is batting first and is currently 24/1 in the 6th over after Janneman Malan was dismissed on 6 by Jasprit Bumrah. Venkatesh Iyer debuted for India while Marco Jansen debuted for South Africa as pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada is unavailable.
Rohit Sharma is injured and isn’t playing in the ODI series while pacer Kagiso Rabada was released to manage his workload. KL Rahul captaining India for the first time in his 39th ODI. Kagiso Rabada has been released from the ODI squad ahead of the 3-match series against India to manage his heavy workload in the Test series. The 26-year old has been rested to stay fresh for 2-match test series in New Zealand starting on February 17.
Kagiso Rabada was the leading wicket-taker in the Test series against India as South Africa beat the visitors by 2-1 in a 3-match series. Kagiso Rabada bowled 119.1 overs to pick 20 wickets with an average of 19.05. Marco Jansen made a sensational debut in the Test series as a 21-year old picked 19 wickets and is debuting in the 1st ODI.