Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, May 20: Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has expressed disappointment over Rishabh Pant being removed as vice-captain of India’s Test team, saying the wicketkeeper-batter remains one of the country’s biggest match-winners in red-ball cricket and had done nothing to lose the role.
Pant had earlier been elevated as India’s Test vice-captain after Shubman Gill was appointed the new Test captain for the England tour last year. The decision was widely seen as an indication that Pant was being groomed for a future leadership role in the longest format.
The left-handed batter had also led India in the Guwahati Test against South Africa when Gill was sidelined with a neck injury. Although India suffered a heavy 408-run defeat and eventually lost the series 2-0, Pant’s leadership potential continued to be recognised by many former players and experts.
However, selectors recently replaced Pant with KL Rahul as vice-captain while announcing the squad for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, a move that surprised many in the cricketing fraternity.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Kaif defended Pant and criticised the tendency to judge players’ Test credentials based on their performances in franchise T20 cricket.
“Rishabh Pant hasn’t done anything wrong. Red-ball and white-ball cricket are completely different formats. People are judging him because of the IPL, saying his captaincy isn’t working, his team is losing and he isn’t scoring runs. But in Test cricket, I don’t think India has a bigger match-winner as a batter than Rishabh Pant,” Kaif said.
Pant has endured a difficult IPL 2026 season as captain of the Lucknow Super Giants, both with the bat and in leadership. However, Kaif argued that performances in one format should not determine decisions in another.
He also questioned the consistency of the selection approach adopted by the Ajit Agarkar-led committee, pointing out what he viewed as conflicting criteria regarding age and form.
Kaif referred to the omission of Mohammed Shami and questioned why some experienced players were overlooked while others continued to be backed.
“If age is a factor in one case, then the same standard should apply everywhere. Either you select players based on form irrespective of age, or you focus on youth consistently. In my opinion, Rishabh Pant deserved to continue as vice-captain,” he added.