"The energy Virat brought to the ground was missing" - Salman Butt unimpressed with KL Rahul's captaincy

Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt is not too impressed with KL Rahul’s leadership skills. He stated that the stand-in captain lacked the energy and vibe expected of a leader.

The batter was appointed captain for the one-day series against South Africa after Rohit Sharma was ruled out due to injury. The 29-year-old’s stint did not get off to a memorable start as India went down to the Proteas by 31 runs.

Discussing Rahul’s captaincy skills, Butt said on his YouTube channel that the Indian team that took the field on Wednesday did not look confident. He stated:

“The energy that Virat brought to the ground as captain was missing. Maybe the team doesn’t have that vibe with KL. The grip and energy of a team that is attached with its captain as well as that unity was missing. KL didn’t have energy.”

Analyzing the elegant batter's leadership, Butt hinted that some players are not cut out for the role. He explained:

“It happens with some people. They have a different vibe when given responsibility and another when they do not have it. He didn’t seem like an out of the box thinker. As a captain, you keep on trying and keep the opposition guessing. These things were not evident in his leadership.”

Opening the innings, Rahul was dismissed for 12, caught behind off Aiden Markram’s bowling.

“KL Rahul can keep wickets” - Salman Butt

India squandered opportunities with both ball and bat in the opening one-dayer in Paarl. They reduced South Africa to 68 for 3. However, tons from Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen lifted the hosts to 296 for 4. When India batted, their middle order collapsed as they went from 138 for 1 to 188 for 6.

Butt suggested a solution to the middle-order woes. He opined that Rahul could keep wickets in the middle while one of Ruturaj Gaikwad or Ishan Kishan could open. Butt said:

“KL Rahul can keep wickets and India can bring in an extra batter in Gaikwad or Ishan. This will improve the middle order. India should also bring in a genuine pacer in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.”

The 37-year-old also criticized wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant for his inconsistency and raised questions about his fitness. Butt said:

“Rishabh Pant is the fifth batter. He is very expressive and talented but you cannot consistently rely on him. He needs to get fit. Lost his balance today. He needs to bring himself back in shape physically. He needs to make some sacrifices in this diet for the team.”

Pant was part of India’s middle-order collapse on Wednesday as India lost their way after half-centuries from Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli.