Saba Karim says that KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant could be the all-format skipper for the Indian side

1 month AGO

Saba Karim says I feel it is up to the selectors to first figure out whether they want to have one player as an all-format captain

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim feels that star players KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant could be the all-format skipper for the Indian side in the future while Karim also delighted at the way that selectors persevered with Prasidh Krishna; despite the reality, he didn’t have a decent tour through West Indies.

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim feels that star players KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant could be the all-format skipper for the Indian side in the future.

“Very early days! I feel it is up to the selectors to first figure out whether they want to have one player as an all-format captain and if that is the case then you are left with multiple options. Number one is KL Rahul because he plays all three formats. Number 2, hot on his heels is Rishabh Pant who has been exceptional in the past couple of seasons,”
said Karim on Sports 18’s daily show ‘Sports Over the Top’.

“Now he has grown into an excellent white ball player as well. So, you are left with these two options. But there are so many other things to consider. Number one is for how long Rohit Sharma can continue given his injury woes. So, these things also have to be kept in mind. Are you looking at a young leader? If that is the case, then let us get Rishabh Pant in because he is another player who will play all three formats in years to come. So, these are the choices which that the selectors have to deal with,”
he added.

KL Rahul drove Team India for the first time in the second Test against South Africa in January 2022 and in the ODI series that followed. However, India lost all the matches. He got once again to the national side as skipper during its tour of Zimbabwe, in which India is leading 2-0.

Pant lead the Indian side in the five-match T20 series at home against South Africa in June 2022. That series ended up 2-2 after the last match was hit by rain.

Karim also delighted at the way that selectors persevered with Prasidh Krishna; despite the reality, he didn’t have a decent tour through West Indies.

“Yes, and you know what, against West Indies in the ODI, if I remember correctly, he did not have a very good outing. It is good to see that the Indian team management is persistent with Prasidh Krishna and that’s been the hallmark of this new set-up. Once they trust a player, they want to give him enough chances and that helps a player not to be so afraid of any failures and that is what we saw in the last outing of Prasidh Krishna,”
he said.

“He did well, he was able to change his length. That wicket that he took of a Yorker against a well-settled bat. That was quite good to see. There is still so much to learn for him. His track record outside India has not been good because he is more of hitting the hard length kind of a bowler and abroad, you need to change your length so that you can pick wickets as well as be economical. But I think these are great signs for Prasidh Krishna as the more he plays I am sure he will improve, and he will add to the rich pool of Indian pace bowlers that we see right now,”
he added.