Sunil Gavaskar backs Rohit Sharma to succeed Virat Kohli, suggests names of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul as T20I vice-captains

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar feels that wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and opener KL Rahul can be groomed as future vice-captains for India in T20 cricket. Gavaskar’s comments came after Virat Kohli announced that he will step down as India T-20I skipper after the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup.

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Although the BCCI has not officially announced who will replace Kohli, the former India opener wants Rohit Sharma to succeed Kohli. The incumbent vice-captain comes with a vast amount of experience under his belt. He has led Mumbai Indians (MI) to five Indian Premier League (IPL) titles and also captained India in 19 T20Is. 

“I think Rohit Sharma for the next two World Cups because they are back-to-back, one starting in a month and another exactly a year from now. So clearly, yes, you don’t want to change too many captains at this particular stage. Rohit Sharma would definitely be my choice for the captaincy of the Indian team for both these T20 World Cups. And then, I’m looking at KL Rahul as the vice-captain,” said Gavaskar on the Star Sports show ‘Cricket Connected."

The cricketer-turned-expert also feels Rishabh Pant can be given the role of team's vice-captain. Gavaskar feels the southpaw is street-smart and has ably led the star-studded Delhi Capitals team in IPL 2021. Gavaskar also suggested the name of Punjab Kings' skipper KL Rahul as another option for India vice-captain.

“I would also keep Rishabh Pant in mind because he has been really impressive in the way he has led a star-studded Delhi Capitals team and the bowling changes that he has been making in the T20 format, using Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada in such a clever manner that actually shows a street-smart captain, and you always want a street-smart captain, who can read the situations and act immediately. So yes, Rahul and Pant are the two guys I would like as vice-captains,” he added.