Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has thrown his weight behind the selectors’ decision to appoint KL Rahul as captain for the upcoming ODI series against South Africa. While Kaif said that there was no other suitable candidate in the current squad, he reckoned that Rohit Sharma should’ve held the role for as long as he played and was in form. Ad With regular captain Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer nursing injuries, Rahul has been allotted the leadership duties for the series against the Proteas. The wicketkeeper-batter has previously led in 12 ODIs, winning eight of them, including a series win in South Africa in late 2023. When asked whether the selectors had any other choice as captain, Kaif said that Rohit deserved the role for this series, having peeled off a hundred in Sydney against Australia last month. However, he supported the selectors’ choice. Kaif said in the latest video on his YouTube channel ‘Mohammad Kaif’: Ad Trending “There’s no one else. Rohit Sharma should’ve captained but they moved on from him earlier. He should’ve been the captain now, given he is coming off a hundred in Sydney. The Indian team is now having a mindset of having to move on and giving opportunities to new players. Till the time Rohit is playing and in form, he should’ve captained. Virat Kohli won’t captain, Yashasvi Jaiswal doesn’t play that regularly, Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been given opportunities. Even Rishabh Pant is coming back after a long time.” Ad “Hence, he seems like the right choice. He has captaincy experience and even did it in IPL. Until Shubman Gill returns, Rahul seems like the right option. I’m still surprised though. The player who made the team, who backed KL Rahul, it’s Rohit Sharma. Despite being in the squad, the captaincy is snatched away from him. There will be questions about that,” he added. Ad The Karnataka-born cricketer has excellent numbers in ODIs, averaging 48. 31 in 88 games with 3092 runs. He played as an opener initially but has been batting at No. 5 for over two years. The star cricketer averages 56. 48 while batting at No. 5 in 31 ODI innings with 1299 runs. “KL Rahul’s slot at 5 is fixed in ODIs” Mohammad Kaif When asked whether there is scope for the 33-year-old to move to No. 4, Kaif said it’s good for him to remain at No. 5 and play around the lesser-experienced ones. In the same video, Kaif elaborated: Ad “I think KL Rahul’s slot at 5 is fixed in ODIs whether it be the Champions Trophy or World Cup, he performed well in that spot. So, he has an idea now. Hardik Pandya is also not there now, neither Iyer nor Gill. So, Rahul is the experienced middle-order player. Hence, he has the experience of finishing games and it’s better for him to play in that spot. If KL Rahul comes up, there is no one else behind. Rishabh Pant is making a comeback, Dhruv Jurel is a new player, so is Reddy. So, Rahul is most experienced in that. He can play according to the situation and guide the new player.” The 50-over series against South Africa begins on November 30 in Ranchi. × Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading Factually Incorrect Hateful or Abusive Baseless Opinion Too Many Ads Other Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news Edited by Parag Jain.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-there-s-one-else-ex-india-star-backs-decision-appoint-kl-rahul-captain-ind-vs-sa-2025-odi-series
“There’s no one else” – Ex-India star backs decision to appoint KL Rahul as captain for IND vs SA 2025 ODI series
