'Start of new era in Indian cricket': Fans elated as Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul take over

The BCCI announced the squad that will be facing New Zealand in the three-match T20I series and Rohit Sharma was named captain along with KL Rahul as vice-captain. The move is on the back of Virat Kohli giving up the captaincy for Team India's T20 side. Rohit will take over from Kohli who has been rested for the series and Rahul will fill Rohit's role as a deputy.

There had been several rumours regarding the same about Rohit Sharma being handed the captaincy role after the T20 World Cup 2021 was over as Virat Kohli had said he would do so. Fans on social media were equally excited and nervous about Rohit's new role but almost everyone was happy for him.

Fans praise KL Rahul for consistency leading to the vice-captain role

KL Rahul has captained the IPL team Punjab Kings for about two years now and he is has tipped to take the role of deputy. In fact, on many occasions, people have said that he will most likely captain Team India at some point in his career. He has been sensational over the past few years as an opening batsman. Rahul managed to score 626 runs in 13 matches for Punjab Kings at the IPL 2021. He managed an average of 62.60 and a sensational strike rate of 138.80 and also six half-centuries. In the past four IPL seasons, Rahul has managed to keep his average above 50, in fact, the lowest was 53.90 and his strike rate has not gone below 129.34. He has also scored 23 half-centuries and two centuries.

At the T20 World Cup 2021, Rahul came on the back of some sensational form, and he started well, scoring half-centuries in both the warm-up games. But whether it was nerves or just bad days, Rahul could not replicate his sensational form in the first two of India's games in the Super 12. However, after that, he started to show and even scored the fastest fifty of the tournament by doing so in just 18 balls. Fans were happy to see him take on the role of Rohit Sharma's deputy.

India squad for New Zealand T20Is

Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan

(Image: @BCCI/Twitter)