"You will have to logically make Ajinkya Rahane the vice-captain" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma missing the South Africa Test series

Aakash Chopra believes it would be logical to reappoint Ajinkya Rahane as India's Test vice-captain for the South Africa tour.

Rahane's horrendous run with the bat had forced the Indian selectors to elevate Rohit Sharma as Virat Kohli's deputy for the Test series against South Africa. However, with Sharma getting ruled out of the series due to a hamstring injury, the vice-captain's position is again up for grabs.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opined that Rahane should now be the rightful candidate for the role. He reasoned:

"Now you will not even know whom to make the vice-captain; is it going to be Ajinkya Rahane, or they will have to find someone else? You will have to logically make him the vice-captain because you had made him the captain just now in Kanpur."

However, the former India player added that Rahane's appointment could be an issue, as his place in the team itself is at stake. Chopra elaborated:

"If he was the captain in Kanpur and when the tour starts in South Africa and Rohit Sharma is not there, him (Rahane) being the vice-captain is absolutely certain. But do you see his place being certain in the team, you cannot make him the vice-captain today and drop him in the next match."

Rahane, who has averaged less than 20 in Tests this year, has looked tentative at the crease. Various experts believe Shreyas Iyer or Hanuma Vihari should be preferred over Rahane for the No.5 position in the batting order.

---

Aakash Chopra on India's vice-captaincy options other than Ajinkya Rahane

Jasprit Bumrah could be chosen as India's vice-captain ahead of Ajinkya Rahane.

Aakash Chopra reckons the Indian selectors could opt to go with Jasprit Bumrah as vice-captain. He said:

"I feel India will not announce a vice-captain at all; Virat Kohli is the captain; Rahul Dravid is the coach, you can manage between the two of you. Unless of course, you announce Jasprit Bumrah as the vice-captain. That is a possibility because he is a regular candidate."

The reputed commentator also named Ravichandran Ashwin as another possible candidate for the role. Chopra explained:

"You can also make Ravichandran Ashwin because now there is no other spinner as well. If Ravindra Jadeja was there, we say that you don't play Ashwin overseas, but now there is Jayant Yadav and Ravichandran Ashwin, and you know who amongst those two will play."

The selectors have refrained from naming a vice-captain for the Tests series for now. It'll be interesting to see who they select if they opt to pick one ahead of the series.