Former cricketer Wasim Jaffer feels that Ajinkya Rahane should’ve captained Team India in the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, instead of KL Rahul. 

As Virat Kohli was ruled out of the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, KL Rahul was handed the leadership role to lead the side. He did lead from the front, scoring a half-century in the first innings but his captaincy came under scanner after the visitors failed to defend 240 runs in the second innings. 

Many fans and pundits criticised KL Rahul for his captaincy in the second innings, saying that the opening batter applied poor tactics and set poor fields, due to which they failed to put pressure on the opposition and lost the match, levelling the series 1-1.

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Speaking to Insidesport, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer said that he was surprised by team management’s decision to hand KL Rahul the captaincy with someone like Ajinkya Rahane in the squad, who has not lost any Test as a skipper. 

“I am surprised by the team management. When you have someone as good as Ajinkya Rahane available who has not lost any Test as a captain and won you a Test series in Australia, do you need to give the Test captaincy to KL Rahul?” Wasim Jaffer said. 

Jaffer admitted that although KL Rahul is potentially seen as the future captain but Ajinkya Rahane should’ve captained the side in Virat Kohli’s absence in Johannesburg Test. 

“I have nothing against KL Rahul. He is young and has captained the Punjab Kings. People are thinking about him as a future captain. But I think Rahane should have led the side in Kohli’s absence,” he said. 

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Wasim Jaffer further asserted that Team India missed the aggression and energy that Virat Kohli’s brings with himself on the field.   

“India definitely missed Virat Kohli, the captain, because he brings so much aggression to the field. When you have such a player on the field, you know you will be held accountable if you make a mistake. So, they missed that energy,” he said. 

Notably, ahead of the South Africa tour, Ajinkya Rahane was sacked of his vice-captaincy duties in Tests. The BCCI made Rohit Sharma the new Test vice-captain in the longest format of the game but with him being ruled out of the series due to injury, KL Rahul was handed the leadership role for the ongoing Test series against South Africa. 

(Inside Sport inputs)