Rishabh Pant deserved to stay vice-captain in Tests, says Mohammad Kaif
Synopsis
Mohammad Kaif has called out India's selectors for stripping Rishabh Pant of the Test vice-captaincy, arguing the decision conflates IPL form with red-ball merit. With KL Rahul — aged 34 — stepping in, the move contradicts the committee's own stated preference for youth, and Kaif isn't letting that contradiction go unnoticed.
Key Takeaways
Mohammad Kaif said Rishabh Pant 'hasn't done anything wrong' and deserved to continue as Test vice-captain .
Selectors replaced Pant with KL Rahul as vice-captain for the one-off Test against Afghanistan .
Pant had led India in the Guwahati Test vs South Africa when Shubman Gill was injured, though India lost by 408 runs .
Kaif criticised the Ajit Agarkar -led panel for mixing formats, noting KL Rahul is 34 while selectors have cited age against Mohammed Shami .
Kaif called for consistent selection criteria — either form-based or age-based, not a shifting mix of both.
Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has defended Rishabh Pant, asserting that the wicketkeeper-batter deserved to retain the vice-captaincy of India's Test side and had done nothing to warrant being stripped of the role. Kaif made the remarks on JioHotstar after selectors replaced Pant with KL Rahul as Test vice-captain for the one-off match against Afghanistan.
Background: How Pant Lost the Vice-Captaincy
Pant had been elevated to the Test vice-captaincy after Shubman Gill was named the new red-ball captain ahead of the England tour last year — a move widely read as positioning Pant as a leader-in-waiting. He even led India in the Guwahati Test against South Africa when Gill was ruled out with a neck injury, though India suffered a heavy 408-run defeat and a 2-0 series loss. The selectors' latest squad announcement, which handed the vice-captaincy to KL Rahul, caught the cricket fraternity off guard.
What Kaif Said
'Rishabh Pant hasn't done anything wrong. Red-ball and white-ball cricket are two very different formats. You are judging him based on the IPL, saying that he is not doing a good job as captain, that his team is losing, and that he is not scoring runs. But I believe there is no bigger match-winner for India in Tests, as a batter, than Rishabh Pant,' Kaif said.
Pant's recent run with Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026 — both as batter and captain — has been difficult. However, Kaif argued that judging a Test cricketer by his IPL form reflects an inconsistency in thinking by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee.
The Consistency Question
Kaif extended his critique beyond Pant, raising the case of Auqib Nabi and drawing a parallel with the committee's stance on Mohammed Shami, who has reportedly been kept out on grounds of age. 'KL Rahul is 34 years old. On one hand, you don't pick Mohammed Shami, saying that age is not on his side and that you are looking at younger players,' Kaif noted. He called on selectors to apply a uniform standard — either prioritise form regardless of age, or be transparent about the criteria being used.
What It Means for India's Test Setup
The reshuffle signals a possible recalibration of India's long-term leadership pipeline ahead of a busy red-ball calendar. Rahul, one of the few active players to have captained India across all three formats, brings experience to the deputy role. But the decision raises questions about whether short-format performances are increasingly influencing red-ball selection calls — a concern Kaif has now put squarely on record.
Point of View
The selection committee has quietly shifted the goalposts without saying so. Kaif's sharpest point is also the hardest to rebut: Rahul is 34, yet the same panel has cited age as a reason to overlook Shami. That inconsistency is not a minor administrative slip — it is a credibility problem. India's Test pipeline needs a transparent leadership framework, not decisions that look reactive to the last news cycle.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Rishabh Pant removed as India's Test vice-captain?
Selectors replaced Rishabh Pant with KL Rahul as Test vice-captain for the one-off match against Afghanistan. No official reason was given, but the move came amid Pant's poor form as batter and captain for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2026.
What did Mohammad Kaif say about Rishabh Pant's removal?
Kaif said Pant 'hasn't done anything wrong' and remains India's biggest match-winner in Tests as a batter. He criticised the selection committee for judging a red-ball cricketer on the basis of his IPL performances.
Who is the new Test vice-captain for India?
KL Rahul has been named India's Test vice-captain for the one-off match against Afghanistan. Rahul is one of the few active Indian players to have captained the side across all three formats.
What inconsistency did Kaif highlight in the selection committee's approach?
Kaif pointed out that KL Rahul is 34 years old, yet selectors have cited age as a reason to exclude Mohammed Shami. He argued the committee cannot simultaneously use age against one player while overlooking it for another, and called for a consistent selection standard.
When did Rishabh Pant last captain India in Tests?
Pant captained India in the Guwahati Test against South Africa last year, stepping in after Shubman Gill was ruled out with a neck injury. India lost that match by 408 runs and went on to lose the series 2-0.
