KL Rahul captain: Rahul expected to lead India in New Zealand T20Is

KL Rahul captain: The Indian batter has emerged as a possible candidate to lead the national team in the upcoming T20I series.

It is nothing but a consequence of hectic scheduling that talks of India’s next international series have begun in the middle of an ICC T20 World Cup. India, who are scheduled to host New Zealand for three T20Is and two Tests right after the world event, should have a comparatively new T20I squad especially for the first series of a bumper home season.

India, who had last hosted England for an all-format series earlier this year, will be hosting New Zealand between November 17 – December 7. With a much-improved COVID-19 situation in the country, there’s a strong possibility of spectators getting to watch live matches from inside the stadiums.

“Yes, we will have fans coming in, but it won’t be full capacity. We will work closely with the local authorities and plan the way forward,” a source close to the development was quoted as saying by ANI.

KL Rahul captain

India’s all-format players, who have been on the road non-stop since the ICC World Test Championship in June this year, were always expected to be rested for New Zealand T20Is.

With the T20I squad likely to be announced this week, there are reports which are confirming the same. Having said that, batter Lokesh Rahul might not be rested immediately as he is emerging as a possible candidate to lead the national team.

“The seniors would need a breather and it is no secret that [KL] Rahul is an integral part of the team’s T20 structure. He is almost certain to lead,” the source said about Rahul’s promotion.

With Kohli stepping down as a T20I captain, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) will have to announce a new T20I captain on a permanent basis. Ideally, it should be white-ball vice-captain Rohit Sharma who should replace Kohli in the shortest format. Rahul, who has played 129 matches for India across formats, is yet to lead them at the highest level.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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