Opener KL Rahul is 'gutted' at not being able to lead India on home soil after a last-minute groin injury ruled him out of the five-match T20I series against South Africa. The first of the five matches will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Thursday, May 9, but the stand-in skipper was ruled out a day before their match. Rishabh Pant will now pick up the mantle for India.
Rahul will miss the entire series because of a right groin injury that he sustained during training. On the eve of the first game, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) skipper put out a heartfelt tweet after missing out on an opportunity to captain India on home soil for the first time. Admitting that the injury is 'hard to accept,' Rahul wished Pant, who will captain India for the first time on Thursday evening.
"Hard to accept but I begin another challenge today. Gutted not to be leading the side for the first time at home, but the boys have all my support from the sidelines. Heartfelt thanks to all for your support. Wishing Rishabh and the boys all the luck for the series. See you soon," tweeted Rahul, who had practised on Monday but skipped the nets on Tuesday.
Rahul’s absence should pave the way for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Ruturaj Gaikwad, who will hope that his good form shows when playing for the national team given his topsy-turvy Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Rahul was appointed the stand-in captain after skipper Rohit Sharma and veteran batter Virat Kohli decided to take a break when IPL 2022 wrapped up, but he has now been sidelined by a groin injury. Pant, a wicketkeeper-batsman, who leads Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL, will take charge in his place for the five-match series.
"It's a great feeling, especially getting an opportunity like this in your hometown, (no) bigger opportunity than that and I will make the most of it," the 24-year-old told reporters.
Pant added that his performance will be bolstered by the experience of leading Delhi. "It will help me a lot because when you keep on doing the same thing over a period of time you tend to improve," he said.
