IND vs ZIM 2022: "I would have avoided it" - Aakash Chopra disagrees with KL Rahul replacing Shikhar Dhawan as captain
Aakash Chopra doesn't concur with the selectors' call to replace Shikhar Dhawan with KL Rahul as Team India's captain for the ODI series against Zimbabwe.
The Men in Blue will lock horns with the African country in three ODIs, with the first game to be played on August 18. With uncertainty surrounding Rahul's availability for the tour, Dhawan was originally named as the captain but was made the Karnataka batter's deputy when the Indian vice-captain was added to the squad.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked if Rahul replacing Dhawan as captain for the Zimbabwe series was avoidable. He replied:
"I totally agree with you. If it had been in my hands, I would have avoided it. KL Rahul was not part of this team earlier, and his name has already been announced in the Asia Cup squad. I understand he is the vice-captain at the moment, but it is also true that there are eight to ten captains in this team currently."
Chopra highlighted that a plethora of players have captained the team lately. The former Indian batter elaborated:
"Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are all captains. So many people become captains. I don't think Surya is too far away from captaincy. So in such a scenario, it was not necessary; this is a thing that could have been avoided."
Dhawan also captained the Men in Blue during the ODI leg of India's recent tour of the West Indies. The veteran drew plaudits from many for his leadership skills, helping the visitors register a convincing 3-0 series win.
"KL Rahul can play purely as a batter" - Aakash Chopra
Chopra reckons Rahul could have been added to the squad just as a batter. He observed:
"Shikhar Dhawan is a senior guy; he was the captain; you could have let him remain; what difference does it make. KL Rahul can play purely as a batter as well because it doesn't make a difference whether you are the captain or not."
Chopra concluded by reiterating that Dhawan could have been persisted with as captain. The reputed commentator said:
"You could have carried on with Shikhar. I agree with you that Shikhar Dhawan was announced as captain, then you should let him remain; how does it matter, just my observation."
Happy to see KL Rahul back in action for Team India, but feeling bad how @BCCI has disrespected, the senior player like Shikhar Dhawan.
The selectors seemingly made the right call by including Rahul in the squad for the ODIs against Zimbabwe, considering that the Lucknow Super Giants captain has been unavailable since IPL 2022. However, their decision to appoint him as the captain in place of Dhawan was probably unwarranted.