Not Rishabh or Jadeja! Rohit Sharma assisted by new vice-captain in KL Rahul’s absence for WI T20I

Team India has attained a unique record this year with as many as seven players captaining the Men in Blue, due to different reasons, since early 2022. The likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Shikhar Dhawan have led India across formats. 

In the ongoing white-ball tour of the West Indies, Dhawan got a chance to lead India once again — after last year’s Sri Lanka tour — in the absence of many regulars such as full-time captain Rohit, Rahul, etc. While Rohit has taken charge for the ongoing five T20Is versus Nicholas Pooran-led Men in Maroon, he has now been assigned a new vice-captain in Rahul’s absence (who is Rohit’s deputy across formats). 

Though Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja are present in the playing XI for the series opener, in Trinidad, it is Hardik Pandya who is named the vice-captain for the T20I series. The all-rounder, who led the debutants Gujarat Titans (GT) to victory in IPL 2022, recently captained India during the two-match Ireland T20Is in late June.

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Ever since Rohit has been appointed as India’s all-format captain, there have been many changes in leadership due to frequent rest, injury or Covid concerns to Rohit-KL. Thus, in this way, the Indian team management is also getting a chance to groom young leaders in the presence of Hitman.

At the coin toss of the first T20I between India and WI, Rohit-led visitors were asked to bat first at the Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad. The one-time winners are still without regulars such as Virat and Bumrah as the duo have been rested for the tour. 

India will like to maintain their winning run in the format ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup, set to be held in Australia in the latter half.