"Has Rishabh Pant fallen out of favour?" - Twitteratis react to Cheteshwar Pujara appointed vice-captain for 1st Test vs Bangladesh
Cricket fans have expressed mixed reactions to the BCCI's decision to appoint Cheteshwar Pujara as the Indian team's vice-captain for the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh on December 14.
On Sunday, December 11, the BCCI announced that regular skipper Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the first Test because of a finger injury. It also kept him out of the third ODI in Chattogram on December 10.
"India captain Rohit Sharma met with a specialist in Mumbai for his left thumb injury, which he sustained during the 2nd ODI against Bangladesh. He has been advised appropriate management for this injury and will not be available for the first Test against Bangladesh," the BCCI issued a statement.
"The BCCI Medical Team will take a call on his availability for the second and final Test at a later stage. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Abhimanyu Easwaran as his replacement for the first Test," the statement further read.
The Indian cricket board also mentioned that senior pace bowler Mohammed Shami and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were also ruled out of the Chattogram Test. They are yet to recover from their respective injuries.
Rohit's unavailability in the first Test has elevated his deputy KL Rahul to the captaincy role. Senior player Pujara has been named vice-captain for that game.
The right-handed batter is no stranger to the role as he previously served as Ajinkya Rahane's deputy in a couple of instances. He was the vice-captain in the Melbourne Test vs Australia in December 2020 and Kanpur Test vs New Zealand in November 2021.
However, Indian cricket fans found it strange that he was named vice-captain despite the presence of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in the squad.
Appointment of Pujara as vice-captain creates conundrum over BCCI's leadership management
Earlier in February, Pujara and Rahane were dropped from India's Test squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. Pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah was named the deputy to Rohit Sharma during that point.
Pujara returned to the test team for the rescheduled fifth Test against England in Birmingham in July. It should be noted that Bumrah was named as the captain with Pant as his deputy. This was after Rohit tested positive for Covid-19 days before the series-decider game.
A few fans appreciated the move to name Pujara as Rahul's deputy for the first Test against Bangladesh. However, many were unhappy to see Pant being sidelined for the leadership role.
Sri Lanka tour of India 2022 March (Pujara Dropped)
Rohit Sharma Captain
Jasprit Bumrah Vice Captain
India tour of England 2022 July
Jasprit Bumrah Captain
Rishabh Pant Vice Captain
India tour of Bangladesh 2022 December
KL Rahul Captain
Cheteshwar Pujara Vice Captain
😭💀
@CricCrazyJohns Pant not VC?
Till SL test series:
1st choice VC: Rahul
2nd choice: Bumrah
3rd choice: Pant
Pujara wasn't even in the squad against SL in tests & now is VC similar to what Pant was VC in T20Is in NZ.
Cheteshwar Pujara will replace Rishabh Pant as vice captain for Team India during Bangladesh tests
#BANvIND
Captain and Vice captain 😭😭. Not saying Pujara doesn't deserve but both are sauceless and mediocre currently. twitter.com/ImTanujSingh/s…
@CricCrazyJohns Pujara VC, first let him confirm his place
@CricCrazyJohns Few days back pujara was not even in squad 😏😏 ,no respect for your highest ranked Test batter? 🤌
Interesting to see that Cheteshwar Pujara has been named the vice-captain for India's first Test against Bangladesh. In Rohit and Rahul's absence during the last Test in England in July, Rishabh Pant was Jasprit Bumrah's deputy.
Indian TM few months ago: we are trying to move on from Pujara and build team for the future.
Indian TM now: Let's make Pujara Vice captain.
I have tried not to criticize Rahul Dravid too much but at some level he has got to be responsible for such messy decisions.
Pujara made comeback to team in the last series and now Vice captain.
So Rishab Pant has fallen out of favor? Totally agree with T20 , no idea with ODI s but sacking him as VC in tests is honestly a little shocking! And replaced by Pujara ! Dravid s love for seniors is eternal.
Now Pant lost his vice captaincy to Pujara of all people who was dropped one test ago.
This is the security that Dravid and Rohit provides in this dressing room.
@khelgyani_abhi sir any theory?
With the amount of test cricket Pujara has played in the last year or so, he deserves to lead India in tests at least.
#BANvIND
Only BCCI and Rohit can answer who is the next captain and vice captain for team India. Pujara all of a sudden became vice captain like Shikhar Dhawan became Captain. Oldies are becoming Captain and vice captain to protect whose captaincy?
#BCCISelectionCommittee #RohitSharma𓃵
@mufaddal_vohra What's the point of making pujara VC now. It shud be Pant if they are looking to groom him
Bangladesh and India will play the first Test, starting on Wednesday, December 14, at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram. India lost the ODI series 1-2 after losing their first two games in Dhaka in close encounters.