KL Rahul should be groomed as India’s future captain: Sunil Gavaskar

Former India batsman Sunil Gavaskar wants the BCCI to appoint KL Rahul as the vice-captain of the Indian T20I side, with Rohit Sharma set to take over the reigns of captaincy after Virat Kohli decided to step down from the position post the T20 World Cup.

“It’s a good thing that the BCCI is looking ahead. It’s important to think ahead,” said Sunil Gavaskar on 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,” added Gavaskar.

Rahul also leads the Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. Gavaskar has heaped praise on the Karnataka batsman for his quality of leadership and batting as well.

“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,” said Gavaskar.

Rahul has a terrific batting record to his name in T20Is as well. In 49 T20I matches, Rahul has amassed a total of 1557 runs at an average of just a shade under 40. That includes two centuries and 12 fifties as well.

The 29-year-old has already shown that leadership doesn’t affect his batting as he has scored heaps of runs in the IPL, while leading the Punjab Kings. As their captain, Rahul has 1001 IPL runs to his name at an astonishing average of 58.88 and strike-rate of 131.33.

The home series against New Zealand will be India’s first T20I assignment after the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup. While it’s almost certain that Rohit will be appointed as the captain, Rahul’s appointment as vice-captain will also be a welcome move.