Kolkata: After star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was ruled out of the remainder of the ICC World Cup 2023, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hurriedly named pacer Prasidh Krishna as the replacement. But sans Pandya in the line-up, there was another vacancy that opened up - the slot of vice-captain.
It is learnt from BCCI sources that wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul has been chosen as Rohit Sharma's deputy for the rest of India's ICC World Cup 2023 matches. "Even (pacer) Jasprit Bumrah's name was suggested as the vice-captain, but (KL) Rahul was preferred as he is donning the wicketkeeper's hat and (has) a better understanding of everything," a source told ETV Bharat on the condition of anonymity.
It may be recalled that Jasprit Bumrah did the job of vice-captaincy in 2022 against England in the fifth Test (four Tests were played in 2021 but due to COVID-19 infections in the Indian team they had to return home keeping the Test series against England unfinished, they went back the next year to play the fifth Test held at Manchester).