A year back, Ajinkya Rahane was far from making a comeback into the Indian Test side. Having been axed from the team ahead of the home series against Sri Lanka last year, Rahane spent his time in the wilderness before making a terrific comeback in IPL 2023 en route to making his way back into the Indian team for the WTC final. He then emerged as India's highest run-getter, scoring a valiant 89 in first innings. The stunning comeback was not just rewarded with a second successive opportunity, but Rahane was elevated back to the vice-captaincy role for the tour of West Indies.
In December 2021, Rahane was removed as the vice-captain of the Indian team ahead of the tour of South Africa and Rohit Sharma was made the new deputy to Virat Kohli. And soon after Kohli relinquished his leadership role at the end of that Test series, Rohit was made the all-format skipper, but India had not fixed vice-captain.
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And even though the idea behind Rohit being made the skipper in Test was to groom a young option under him, the plan failed eventually as KL Rahul's form deteriorated and he failed to become a consistent member of the side, Jasprit Bumrah was out with back injury and Rishabh Pant incurred a fatal car accident.
A year and a half later, India, still in search for the next captain after Rohit, went back to Rahane as Test vice-captain for the two-match series in West Indies, a move Gavaskar criticised in his interview with Sports Today. Disappointed at the BCCI selectors, he felt the move was a failed opportunity as providing a youngster with the opportunity to grow into the leadership role.
{{/usCountry}}A year and a half later, India, still in search for the next captain after Rohit, went back to Rahane as Test vice-captain for the two-match series in West Indies, a move Gavaskar criticised in his interview with Sports Today. Disappointed at the BCCI selectors, he felt the move was a failed opportunity as providing a youngster with the opportunity to grow into the leadership role.
{{/usCountry}}“There is nothing wrong in having him [Ajinkya Rahane] as the vice-captain, but a missed opportunity to groom a young player. At least, tell a young player that we are looking at you as a future captain. So, he starts to think as a future leader,” Gavaskar said.
But who next after Rohit Sharma?
Gavaskar picked not one but three names, all unusual though, as the successor to Rohit in Test cricket.
“One is Shubman Gill and the other is Axar Patel [as future captains] because Axar comes in leaps and bounds, he just gets better every match. Giving him the responsibility as vice-captain will make them think. So, these are the two candidates in my view," Gavaskar said. "If there are others, somebody like Ishan Kishan, once he cements his place in the team. He can come in the reckoning as well."