With K.L. Rahul, who was made the skipper for the T20I series against South Africa, missing out because of a groin injury, the mantle of captaincy was sure to fall on Rishabh Pant, the designated vice-captain for the series. The flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman, who said during the media conference that he got to know about the change only an hour before coming to the ground, is one of the players being groomed for the role.
Apart from Rahul and Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans to their maiden title in the IPL 2022, are also in the mix to take over from regular captain Rohit Sharma, who was rested for the series against the Proteas.
"It's a very good feeling although it didn't come in good circumstances,” Pant said, when asked about taking over from Rahul. “I haven't even digested the information yet. It is a great feeling getting this opportunity, especially in my hometown,” the Delhi cricketer said. He plays for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and has captained them in the last two seasons.
Pant, however, admitted that as far as captaincy is concerned, he is still a work in progress. “I think it (having captained in the IPL) will help me a lot because when you keep doing the same thing over a period of time, you tend to improve. I am someone who keeps on learning from my mistakes and that's something which is going to help me in the coming days as well."
Pant will captain at the international level for the first time, and will face a tough challenge against a strong South African side.
He said that despite the absence of key players, India would showcase a “different brand of cricket” in the series. “As a team, we have thought about certain goals that we want to achieve as a team. We are continuously working on them. We are thinking about the World Cup. In the coming days, you will see a lot of changes."
