The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made a dramatic announcement over India’s upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, making KL Rahul not just a part of the squad but also the captain. Rahul, who is returning from sports hernia surgery and Covid-19, wasn’t initially a part of the Indian squad for the Zimbabwe series.
Rahul’s return, however, didn’t come in the capacity of a player but as captain, dislodging Shikhar Dhawan from the role. Former India selector Saba Karim, however, isn’t impressed with the current selection committee’s decision.
“KL Rahul should have played the series only as a member, making him captain or vice-captain is not that important. He is coming after a long break. Shikhar Dhawan is a senior member of the squad who has delivered in white-ball cricket. You have to give him importance once you make the announcement as captain,” Karim was quoted as saying by India News Sports.
“I would like to add that Shikhar led the side very well against West Indies in the ODI series. He was also decent with the bat. India whitewashed the series with a bunch of youngsters. A lot of them performed very well under his captaincy. Dhawan looked in complete control, whether it was the field setup, tactics, or strategy. He inspired the youngsters as a leader,” he added.
Shikhar Dhawan was preparing to lead the Indian team against Zimbabwe, but now, will be playing only in the capacity of a player. Karim feels such a decision will help Dhawan’s morale.
“The kind of change in captaincy trend is strange and questionable. Such decisions need to be taken very cautiously. There is no need to rush as it is associated with a team environment, you need to build the team spirit. A captain begins to think about his plans for upcoming matches and then you suddenly make a change. It affects the morale of the cricketer.”
The Indian cricket team is scheduled to take on Zimbabwe in a 3-match ODI series, starting August 18.
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