Rishabh Pant Replaced as Vice-Captain Ahead of Afghanistan Test

Rishabh Pant's Leadership Change

In a significant move, Rishabh Pant has been stripped of his vice-captaincy for the upcoming Test against Afghanistan, with KL Rahul stepping into the role. Despite being a key player for India in Test cricket, Pant's recent performances have raised concerns. His IPL season was disappointing, where he accumulated only 312 runs across 14 matches. Furthermore, during the last Test series against South Africa, he managed a mere 29 runs, averaging 12.25. Addressing Pant's removal, India’s assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate emphasized the need for Pant to adapt his batting style to suit different match scenarios. He also mentioned that Pant has accepted the leadership change without any complaints, stating, "You don’t need a formal title to become a leader. We need him to adjust his game and play according to the situation."

Virat Kohli Excluded from ODI Series

Additionally, Ten Doeschate confirmed that Virat Kohli will not participate in the upcoming ODI series. Kohli had been performing well in the IPL and aimed to continue his momentum in the ODIs, hoping to add to his century tally and close in on Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 centuries. However, a hamstring injury has sidelined him. The coach did not disclose the severity of Kohli's injury but confirmed his absence from the series.

India’s Test Squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper)India’s ODI Squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma*, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya*, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey