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Rishabh Pant Removed as Vice-Captain of Test Team Ahead of Afghanistan Match

In a surprising move, Rishabh Pant has been removed from his position as vice-captain of the Indian Test team ahead of the one-off match against Afghanistan. This decision comes after a series of disappointing performances in the IPL with the Lucknow Super Giants. KL Rahul has been reappointed to the leadership group, taking over the vice-captaincy. The cricket community is abuzz with reactions, particularly from former players questioning the selectors' judgment. Read on to find out more about this significant change in the Indian cricket leadership.
By Narendra Chaudhary | May 20, 2026, 23:06 IST
Rishabh Pant Removed as Vice-Captain of Test Team Ahead of Afghanistan Match gyanhigyan

Rishabh Pant's Surprising Ouster


The selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has made the unexpected decision to strip Rishabh Pant of his role as vice-captain for the upcoming Test against Afghanistan. Pant had stepped into the leadership role following Rohit Sharma's abrupt retirement, initially serving alongside captain Shubman Gill. Despite his contributions in series against England, South Africa, and the West Indies, Pant has now been replaced. Notably, he had captained India during the second Test against South Africa when Gill was sidelined due to a neck injury.


Former cricketer Mohammed Kaif has criticized the selectors for their choice to dismiss Pant, arguing that it is unjust to judge him based on his performance with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2026. Kaif stated, 'Rishabh Pant has not done anything wrong. Red-ball and white-ball cricket are two very different formats. You are judging him based on the IPL, saying that he is not doing a good job as captain, that his team is losing, and that he is not scoring runs. But I believe there is no bigger match-winner for India in Tests, as a batter, than Rishabh Pant,' during a discussion on JioHotstar.


Under Pant's leadership, LSG has struggled, securing only 4 victories out of 13 matches and failing to progress beyond the league stage of IPL 2026, finishing with 8 points and a negative net run rate of -0.702. This follows a similar outcome in IPL 2025, where they also did not qualify for the next round.


KL Rahul Takes Over as Vice-Captain

KL Rahul replaces Rishabh Pant



KL Rahul has been reinstated as the vice-captain of the Test team. Previously, he held this position across all formats but was removed in 2023 due to subpar performances. After being dropped from the playing XI in all formats, Rahul has made a comeback, now regularly featuring in the Test and ODI teams. However, he has not participated in a T20I since the 2022 World Cup, where he served as Rohit Sharma's deputy.


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