KL Rahul frontrunner to be vice-captain for India vs South Africa Test series: Reports

Opening batter KL Rahul is the frontrunner to become India's Test vice-captain in Rohit Sharma's absence for the upcoming tour of South Africa, The Times of India reported on Wednesday. He'll bypass Ajinkya Rahane, who was sacked from the position a couple of weeks ago, and seniors like Ravichandran Ashwin for the role.

Rohit suffered a left hamstring injury while preparing for the series in Mumbai. He has been advised to rest for a few weeks and will thus miss the entire three-Test rubber against the Proteas. This was supposed to be his first series as Virat Kohli's deputy in the longest format. His possible return date is yet to be confirmed.

Sources in the aforementioned report explained that selectors don't want to look towards Rahane again owing to his poor form with the bat. Ravichandran Ashwin, who is among the most seasoned players on the team and has a shrewd cricket brain, is not favored due to his inability to make it to the team in overseas Tests.

A source said on Tuesday:

“There’s no point in looking back. At the moment, the odds are tilted towards Rahul. Rahane is not a certainty to start in the playing XI (because of his poor form). Even in the case of Ashwin, the team management has often not played him abroad. In that case, it’s tough to make either of them the vice-captain. The idea is to announce Kohli’s deputy in a day or two."

KL Rahul, 29, has for long been seen as a potential future captain for India. He led Punjab Kings in the IPL, though without much success, and was recently confirmed as India's vice-captain for T20Is as well. Given his healthy equation with Kohli, if confirmed, he'll certainly have the skipper's ear in the slip-cordon.

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Who'll open alongside KL Rahul in South Africa?

While his vice-captaincy prospects will be confirmed soon, KL Rahul will also have a bigger role to play with the bat in South Africa. In Rohit's absence, he'll have to emerge as a steady stalwart at the top of the order. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced domestic star Priyank Panchal as Rohit's replacement, but he is unlikely to open.

Mayank Agarwal, who was brilliant against New Zealand recently, will likely partner his long-time friend KL Rahul in the first Test. The duo's ability to tackle pace and bounce on South African surfaces might well define India's series.