Days after Indian opener KL Rahul was appointed as the vice-captain of Team India side in the longest format, former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has backed the premier batter to succeed Virat Kohli as the full-time Test captain of the Asian giants. Butt believes Rahul has remained a decent captaincy candidate ever since the swashbuckling batter started leading the Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
India’s all-format opener Rahul has replaced Rohit Sharma as Kohli’s deputy for the upcoming series against South Africa. Rahul has been named Kohli’s deputy after Rohit was ruled out from the Test series between India and hosts South Africa with a hamstring injury. The former Pakistan skipper has welcomed the announcement made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the build-up to India’s tour of South Africa.
Speaking about Rahul’s elevation as India’s vice-captain on his YouTube channel, Butt opined that the former Punjab Kings skipper was a lone fighter at the IPL franchise. The former Pakistani cricketer and full-time pundit also credited versatile Rahul for keeping the wickets and opening the innings for PBKS in his fruitful captaincy stint at the Punjab-based franchise.
“KL Rahul has captained Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League. He is a very decent captain. He’s a good thinker of the game. He has not had a strong team but he has emerged as a lone fighter. He’s kept wickets and opened the innings, which shows he can handle responsibilities. You only make a player the vice-captain when you see him as a future leader,” Butt said.
Butt also asserted that India can win its maiden Test series on South African soil under the leadership of skipper Kohli. The Rohit-less Team India side will play three Test matches against the Proteas as part of their away tour to South Africa. Opener Rohit has been replaced by India ‘A’ skipper Priyank Panchal for the three-match Test series.
“India can win in South Africa. But it won’t be easy. South Africa are aggressive and they have a good fast bowling attack. But India have the capabilities to seal the series. However, the absence of Rohit Sharma will be felt,” Butt added.
