It will be huge if I am made India's full-time Test captain: KL Rahul

KL Rahul, India’s stand-in ODI skipper for South Africa ODIs in the injury-enforced absence of Rohit Sharma, has said that it will be pleased to lead the Test team if given such an opportunity. Rahul is one of the chief contenders to take up the role after Virat Kohli announced his decision to step down following India’s loss in the Cape Town Test recently.

Rahul, who stood in for Kohli in the second Test in Johannesburg when the latter had to sit out on account of his back spasms, was not a part of the leadership group before the South Africa tour. Although Rohit, who took over white-ball captaincy from Kohli, injured his hamstring in the build-up to the series, leading to Rahul’s captaincy appointment for the three-ODI series.

As fate would have it, he finds himself in the hunt of taking up the full-time captaincy of the Indian red-ball team, with Rohit and Rishabh Pant as other potential contenders for the spot.

“I had not given it a thought till the names came out, till the articles or news have been doing the rounds. Obviously, I had the opportunity to lead the Test side in Johannesburg and it was really special. The result did not go our way but it was a great learning experience for me and it would be something I will always be proud of,” Rahul said in Paarl on the eve of the first of the three ODIs against South Africa.

“Leading the country is always special for anyone and I am no different. Yes, it would be a huge responsibility if given to me (being the Test captain). It is something that is exciting, I am not really looking to anything forward, I am just focusing on the present,” he added.

Will be important for us to build on what Virat Kohli did for the team: KL Rahul

Asked about his approach for leading the team, Rahul clarified that he wants to stay in the moment and does not want to look too far ahead while adding that his main aim remains to take the team forward after it has been in two able hands of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli before him.

“I stay balanced and take one game at a time. There were a lot of learnings from the 2nd Test [Johannesburg]. Hopefully, I can take lessons from MS and Virat and keep improving along my journey. I don’t really set targets. I just take one game at a time. The two great captains have shown us the way. We did exceptional things under Virat. It will be important for us to build on that,” he said.

India lost the chance to secure their maiden series win on the South Africa shores despite having made a winning start in Centurion. The upcoming ODI series, which will not be a part of the ICC ODI World Cup Super League, will commence on January 19 in Paarl, which will also host the second ODI on January 21 before the final one in Cape Town on January 23.

“Every game is different and a great opportunity to get better as a team. A few new guys will be joining in [for the ODI series]. We lost the Test series and so we will be excited to get back to winning ways.”