Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has pushed back against the decision to drop wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant from Test vice-captaincy, insisting the player “has not done anything wrong” despite a difficult IPL campaign with the bat and as captain of Lucknow Super Giants. Kaif argued that red-ball and white-ball cricket are fundamentally different, and that Pant remains a genuine game-changer for India in Tests. He also pointed out that the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan will see KL Rahul take over the vice-captain role, starting June 6.
Speaking on JioStar, Kaif said, “Rishabh Pant has not done anything wrong. Red-ball and white-ball are two different formats. People are judging him through the IPL, saying he is not doing a good job as captain, that his side is losing, and that he is not scoring runs. But in my view, there is no bigger match-winner for India in Tests as a batter than Rishabh Pant.”
Kaif’s defence came after another disappointing IPL showing for Pant, where he struggled to find the same impact in the shortest format that had made him a standout. In the ongoing tournament, Pant has managed 286 runs across 12 innings, averaging 28.60 and striking at a rate of over 140, with only one fifty. Lucknow’s overall campaign has also been under pressure, with the franchise languishing near the bottom of the standings—registering just four wins from 13 matches—and missing out on a playoff berth.
Kaif then broadened his argument to the selection mindset, suggesting that mixing performances across formats can lead to the wrong conclusions. He questioned why Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi, despite doing well in the Ranji Trophy, did not receive a call-up, and whether Pant’s modest IPL returns played any part in the thinking. He also raised eyebrows at the way seniority is being used in discussions around player inclusion, specifically mentioning Mohammed Shami, who is said to be sidelined because he is 35, while Rahul remains in the setup at 34.
Continuing on JioStar, Kaif added, “KL Rahul is 34 years old. On one side, you don’t pick Mohammed Shami, saying age is the reason, and that you want younger players. So I would like consistency. Either back form, irrespective of age—if someone is scoring runs or taking wickets, they should be selected. And I feel Rishabh Pant deserved to continue as vice-captain.”
India Test squad vs Afghanistan
- Shubman Gill (c)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- KL Rahul (vc)
- Sai Sudharsan
- Rishabh Pant
- Devdutt Padikkal
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Washington Sundar
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Mohammed Siraj
- Prasidh Krishna
- Manav Suthar
- Gurnoor Brar
- Harsh Dubey
- Dhruv Jurel
