Top contenders for Indian vice-captain's role in all formats

Cricket in India is currently going strength to strength. And over the years, we have witnessed some supreme leadership from our fine men. There is no denying the fact that captain plays a key role in cricket but we have often skipper out on the importance of vice-captain in the side. In the current ODI side, Rohit Sharma plays deputy to charismatic Virat Kohli.

Emerging names in India

In Tests, the spot is occupied by Ajinkya Rahane. A vice-captain always has few tricks up their sleeves and are often seen having a word or two with the skipper at crucial juncture. From changing fields to shuffling the bowling pack, the vice-captain’s role knows no boundaries as he has to be up for the challenge everytime the captain takes a shower. Today, we take a look at some of our promising players who can take the charge of being India’s deputy in the coming times.

1.Prithvi Shaw

The 19-year-old poses a solid temperament. In his debut against the Windies, a young Shaw set the ball rolling and brought up his maiden Test ton in style. He has the experience of leading the India U19 side to a World Cup victory just like our very own current skipper Kohli and if he gets an opportunity, he would be an ideal candidate to take the hot seat.

Apart from reading the game well, Shaw easily gels-up with his fellow teammates and stays in the same page- a quality which leaders posses. The right-hand batsman is yet to get a crack in limited overs cricket, with considering the skill-set he got, it seems just a matter of time before he bosses all formats.

2. KL Rahul

The Karnataka-born cricketer has come of age. Well almost! A steelar season in the IPL 2018 laid the foundation for KL Rahul. But he has managed to do well only in patches. While the impact he makes in the shortest format is no secret; Rahul’s form in whites is quite shaky of late. He is a thinking cricketer and is often seen having a conversation with Kohli in the middle.

He has a large array of strokes, which augurs well for him. The 26-year-old looks hungry for runs and understands the art of carrying a team to safety. Overall, the stylish cricketer can be groomed as the side’s vice captain in the time to come.

3. Rishabh Pant

He is just over 21 years of age and has already represented India in all the three formats. Swashbuckling wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant showed his class back in England, where he went on to hit his maiden ton in Tests. He has also scored a gutsy fifty in T20Is and maintains a strike rate of well over 100 in limited overs cricket.

Having already led his state Delhi in Ranji Trophy, Pant can be an ideal candidate for the vice-captain’s role. He has a good equation with captain Kohli and is often referred  as a ‘champion’. Therefore it won’t be a surprise to see him wear the all important armband.