Shikhar Dhawan who will lead Team India in the 3-match ODI series vs New Zealand has been appointed as the stand-in skipper whenever senior players are rested from tours.
The 36-year-old who has been given the responsibility for the third time in 2022 was also named the captain for the India-Zimbabwe 3-match ODI series earlier in August. However, when KL Rahul recovered from his hamstring injury just before the tour, BCCI handed the captaincy to KL Rahul and Dhawan was named his deputy.
When asked about how Gabbar felt about it, the India ODI opener said, 'KL Rahul is the vice-captain of our main team, when he came back I was mindful of the fact that he had to go to Asia Cup. If Rohit got injured during the tournament, then KL Rahul would have been asked to lead. So, it was better he had the practice during Zimbabwe Tour'
In the absence of skipper Rohit Sharma and vice-captain KL Rahul, Dhawan led the Men in Blue during the West Indies and South Africa ODI series.