Virat Kohli's decision to step down as India's Test captain took the world by storm. He announced it just a day after the Asian side lost the three-match Test series against South Africa by 1-2 under his leadership. However, India are yet to announce their new red-ball captain.
However, there are several candidates for the role. The likes of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah are among the front runners to lead their country in the longest format of the game. If the recent reports are to be believed, then either of the two the openers, i.e. Sharma or Rahul, are most likely to be handed over the responsibility.
Accordingly to the veteran journalist K Shriniwas Rao, the Karnataka batter will be unavailable for the first of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka and thus, the "Hitman" shall lead India in the Mohali Test. Moreover, there is no confirmation if Rahul will play the second Test in Bengaluru. The tweet hinted that Rohit will only lead India in the absence of KL Rahul, which means BCCI might have finalized him as India Test captain
"KL Rahul will be unavailable for Mohali Test & there's no confirmation if he'll play the 2nd Test in B'lore. That is why Rohit Sharma has been asked to lead." Read K Shriniwas Rao's Tweet. While replying to this Tweet, a fan asked him if Rahul was then going to be India permanent Test captain, to which, the journalist subtly agreed.
"I dont know what "permanent" means. But yes, he has been identified as the one who'll lead going forward." read his reply to the fan who asked him the question. It is to be noted that the 29-year-old did lead India India during the second Test against the Proteas. However, he failed to win the game as the hosts won the Test by seven wickets.
However, due to his injuries, Rahul might have to wait for longer before leading his country again. In the meantime, Rohit Sharma was earlier announced as the full-time captain in the shorter versions of the game. Currently, he is leading the side in the three-match T20I series against West Indies. Hence, it will interesting to see who the BCCI finally announce as the full-time Test captain of India.