Rahul named deputy to Kohli for SA Tests

Earlier, Rohit Sharma was made deputy to skipper Virat Kohli for the series but the senior opening batter was ruled out due to a recurring left hamstring injury. The 29-year-old Rahul has played 40 Test matches so far and has scored 2,321 runs at an average of 35.16, with six centuries under his belt.

“The All-India Senior selection committee has named KL Rahul as vice-captain for the upcoming 3-match Test series against South Africa. KL Rahul replaces Rohit Sharma as vice-captain, who was ruled out of the Test series owing to a hamstring injury,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a statement on Saturday. Rohit, who had replaced the out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane as the vice-captain for the Test series, suffered a left hamstring injury during a net session in Mumbai, which ruled him out for at least three to four weeks.

Team plays a game of footvolley: The India team is gradually increasing its training intensity as it adapts to the higher altitude ahead of the first Test in Centurion. Following three days of hard quarantine in Mumbai, India had landed in the ‘Rainbow Nation’ via a chartered flight on Friday morning. In a video posted by the BCCI on Saturday, the Indian contingent, including head coach Rahul Dravid, was seen enjoying a game of footvolley.