IND v SA 2020: 3 possible Team India captaincy candidates if Rohit and Kohli are rested for SA series

India will play South Africa in a series of three ODI matches in March.

As the Indian team’s tour to New Zealand is drawing to a close, the focus will start to shift to limited-overs cricket now, as South Africa will come knocking on doors in March for a series of three ODI matches. Given the number of games, some of the top stars of the Indian team have played, there is bound to be a couple of players rested.

One of those players might be captain Virat Kohli, who has been playing non-stop for some time now. He has played almost every match starting from the World Cup with a couple of matches missed here and there. In his stead, Rohit Sharma has been doing the captaincy duties, but even he was rested for the home T20I series against Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately, Rohit got injured in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand and may not be available for the South Africa series. If Kohli is given a rest and Rohit is not fit enough to play in the series, the BCCI may need to find a new captain for the ODIs.

Therefore, Team COC brings to you three alternatives as possible captain for the Indian team for the upcoming South Africa series.

Check out the 3 possible captaincy candidates if Rohit and Kohli are rested for SA series

MANISH PANDEY

Karnataka captain Manish Pandey has proven captaincy credentials in domestic cricket and has often led other teams as well. Pandey has been on top of his game off lately and has been identified as the finisher for the Indian team in limited-overs formats.

NZ v IND 2020: Manish Pandey reflects on New Zealand tour and his new role for Team India

He was at the top of his game in recent New Zealand series playing some important knocks for the team when they were in danger. The 30-year-old has finally made a niche for himself in the team as is often seen giving inputs to the leadership group as well.

He already led Karnataka to limited-overs victory last year. Karnataka won the 2019-20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, and 2018-19 and 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy under Pandey's leadership.

If both Kohli and Rohit are both unavailable for the SA series, the management might look at Pandey as a replacement as the captain.

SHREYAS IYER

Shreyas Iyer has to be the answer to India’s no.4 spot conundrum in both the limited-overs formats. The young Mumbaikar has 748 runs in ODIs and 417 runs in T20Is and has shown the maturity needed to lead the side.

NZ v IND 2020: Shreyas Iyer comes up with a hilarious caption on Virat Kohli's picture

He has shown the same leadership instinct for Mumbai and for Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League. He was handed the captaincy in the 2018 season after Gautam Gambhir failed to inspire the team and lost 5 of their first six matches. Iyer took the team close to playoffs qualifying that season.

He took the team from being in the second half of points table to playoffs in IPL 2019 season. Iyer has also led Mumbai by aplomb. One of the true leaders, he is also very calm under pressure, rarely getting flustered if things go awry for him and the team. He has a keen mind to make things happen and take effective decisions.

KL RAHUL

It seems KL Rahul has been the captain designate for upcoming years after he was handed the leadership duties in the fifth T20I against New Zealand after Rohit couldn’t take the field after injuring himself.

Virat Kohli drops to 10th; KL Rahul retains 2nd spot in the latest ICC T20I Batting Rankings

He has already proven himself to be a jack of all trades with batting everywhere for the Indian team. He has opened, batted at no.3, 4 and even played as a finisher. He has now become the designated wicketkeeper in limited-overs for sake of balance of the team and maybe leading the team against South Africa if Kohli and Rohit don’t play the South Africa ODI series.

He will be leading the Kings XI Punjab side in IPL 2020 a testament to the fact that people in power apart from BCCI find him a true leader and captaincy material.