The former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has come out in support of the selectors who have made a decision of making KL Rahul captain of the upcoming series of ODI against South Africa. Although Kaif admitted that he could not find any other appropriate candidate in the existing squad, he estimated that Rohit Sharma ought to have served the position as long as he played and remained in shape.
As the regular captain Shubman Gill and his vice-captain Shreyas Iyer attend to injuries, Rahul has been assigned the task of leading in the series against the Proteas. The wicketkeeper-batter has already captained in 12 ODIs, with eight wins, most recently a series victory in South Africa at the end of 2023.
When questioned whether the selectors had any alternative captain, Kaif responded by saying that Rohit Sharma was the right choice to lead the team during this series given that he had peeled off a hundred in Sydney against Australia last month. Nevertheless, he was in favor of the decision of the selectors. In the recent video posted on his YouTube channel ‘Mohammad Kaif’ Kaif said:
“There’s no one else. Rohit Sharma should’ve captained but they moved on from him earlier. He should’ve been the captain now, given he is coming off a hundred in Sydney. The Indian team is now having a mindset of having to move on and giving opportunities to new players. Till the time Rohit is playing and in form, he should’ve captained. Virat Kohli won’t captain, Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn’t play that regularly, Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been given opportunities. Even Rishabh Pant is coming back after a long time.”
“Hence, he seems like the right choice. He has captaincy experience and even did it in IPL. Until Shubman Gill returns, Rahul seems like the right option. I’m still surprised though. The player who made the team, who backed KL Rahul, it’s Rohit Sharma. Despite being in the squad, the captaincy is snatched away from him. There will be questions about that,” he added.
The Karnataka born cricketer has good figures in the ODIs, with an average of 48.31 in 88 matches and a total of 3092 runs. He started off as an opener, but has played more than two years at No. 5. Among the 31 ODIs, the star cricketer has a batting average of 56.48 in No. 5 position and 1299 runs.
“KL Rahul’s slot at 5 is fixed in ODIs” – Mohammad Kaif
When asked if there is room for the 33-year-old to go to No. 4, Mohammad Kaif stated it is better for him to stay at No. 5 and play alongside the less experienced players. In the same video, Kaif elaborated.
“I think KL Rahul’s slot at 5 is fixed in ODIs – whether it be the Champions Trophy or World Cup, he performed well in that spot. So, he has an idea now. Hardik Pandya is also not there now, neither Iyer nor Gill. So, Rahul is the experienced middle-order player. Hence, he has the experience of finishing games and it’s better for him to play in that spot. If KL Rahul comes up, there is no one else behind. Rishabh Pant is making a comeback, Dhruv Jurel is a new player, so is Reddy. So, Rahul is most experienced in that. He can play according to the situation and guide the new player.”
Mohammad Kaif
The 50-over series against South Africa begins November 30 in Ranchi.
