Sunil Gavaskar backs KL Rahul to take up Team India’s leadership roles in future

Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar reckons that the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) will hold importance for KL Rahul, the skipper of the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP). Rahul was made the captain after Ravi Ashwin moved to the Delhi Capitals (DC) after leading the Punjab-based franchise in 2018 and 2019. Rahul has been a key member of KXIP with the bat in hand.

However, it remains to be seen whether the added responsibility of captaincy brings the best out of him or not. The 71-year-old Gavaskar said that some decent performances could also put Rahul in the reckoning for leadership roles in Team India.

This can be a huge tournament for KL Rahul as a skipper, says Gavaskar

“There is a great chance for KL Rahul to show that he can score runs when given the responsibility. Secondly, he can show that he is capable of captaining a side and how he moulds his team and extracts effort. If he does that well he can even go on to become the vice-captain of the Indian team,” Gavaskar told on Sports Tak.

“There are still players in the Indian team like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane. But going forward, he can be an option for the selection committee and can also become India’s future captain. So, this can be a huge tournament for KL Rahul as a skipper,” he stated.

KXIP start their IPL 2020 campaign on Sunday, September 20 against the Capitals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Back in 2014, when the IPL, though partially, took place in the UAE, KXIP made the final where Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) beat them.

Gavaskar also said that Rahul and Co should give opportunities to young leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi at the start of the tournament. Bishnoi was roped in by KXIP at a price of INR 2 crore. In the U19 World Cup in South Africa, Bishnoi also turned out to be one of India’s key performers.

“I will pick India U19 player Ravi Bishnoi and give him a chance in my XI at the beginning of the tournament. Because in the UAE, there will not be much of pressure on him,” Gavaskar added.