KL Rahul to be Kohli's deputy in South Africa Tests

ACE India opening batter KL Rahul will be the team’s vice-captain in the upcoming Test series against South Africa starting in Centurion on Boxing Day (26), Asian News International reported citing a source.

Rahul was chosen as the Virat Kohli-led squad’s deputy after the original pick, Rohit Sharma, was ruled out of the three-match series ahead of the Indian team’s departure due to a hamstring injury. He was replaced in the squad by India ‘A’ captain Priyank Panchal.

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Sharma was appointed the vice-captain after Ajinkya Rahane was removed from the post due to his poor form with the bat.

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Sharma is also set to captain India in the three-match one-day international series which follows the Tests. He was recently made the new skipper in the 50-over format after Kohli stepped down from the captaincy in the T20 format and was removed as the captain in the one-day internationals.

Yes, with Rohit missing, KL Rahul would be the vice-captain,” the source said.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday confirmed that Sharma was ruled out of the three-match Test series against South Africa due to injury, saying, “Team India Test vice-captain Rohit Sharma sustained a left hamstring injury during his training session here in Mumbai yesterday.”

“He has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match Test series against South Africa. Priyank Panchal will replace Rohit Sharma in the Test squad,” it added.

The 29-year-old Rahul has played 40 Tests after making his debut in 2014 in which he has scored 2,321 runs at an average of 36.15 with six hundreds and 12 fifties.