After Virat Kohli relinquished his Test captaincy following series defeat on South African soil, there have been speculations around whether KL Rahul or Rohit Sharma will lead India in the red-ball format. While reports suggest that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is in no hurry to announce Test captain with next Test series still more than a month away, Rahul has reacted to the Test captaincy rumours as he took over the reigns in Johannesburg Test in absence of an unfit Kohli.
“It was a great learning experience captaining the Test team and it was a dream come true. It will be a huge responsibility if given to me and something very exciting. If it comes my way, I'll give my best,” Rahul said in the pre-match virtual press conference on January 18.
“I had the opportunity to lead the Test team in Johannesburg and that's something I'll always be proud of. Yes, it'll be a huge honour if I'm made full-time Test captain. But it's not something I'm think of right now. The focus is on the ODI series,” the Test opener added.
Under Rahul’s captaincy, India lost their first ever Test in Johannesburg as South Africa chase down 240 with Dean Elgar leading from the front playing a captain’s knock.
Rahul also hailed Kohli for his achievements as Test captain as he said, “Team India has done some phenomenal things under Virat Kohli... he has set the standards for the team and going forward, we'll look to build on that. Have to stay as disciplined and determined.”
Rahul looks to emulate Kohli as he leads in the white-format for the first time on January 19.
“Virat Kohli has this amazing ability to get the best out of every player. That's something I've learnt from him and hopefully I can do the same as captain,” the 29-year-old said
“I've played under greats like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli and learnt a lot. I'm a human and I'll make mistakes but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to lead my country,” he concluded.
