'KL Rahul's personality is better off not captaining…': Wasim Jaffer

[[{“value”:”

Team India is set to take on Sri Lanka in the two-match Test series. The first Test match is scheduled to be played from August 15 at the Galle International Cricket Stadium near Galle Fort.

Former Team India’s cricketer Wasim Jaffer feels that KL Rahul will deliver performances when he doesn’t have the additional responsibility of captaincy. He also said that the Karnataka-born cricketer has the ability to win two or three matches on his own.

“KL Rahul‘s personality is better off not captaining because if you leave him to play, I think he’ll always give you 500-600 runs. He’s a bankable player. He will win 2-3 games on his own, which he does in every season,” said the former cricketer on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan.

“So I just feel that with the kind of personality he has, captaincy just puts a bit of added pressure on him,” he added.

Ahead of the Test series against India’s distant rivals, Rahul’s role will be crucial for the visitors. In the three-day practice match against SLC XI, which concluded on Sunday, Rahul came in as an opener in the 1st innings and scored 40 off 67 balls. He did not bat in the 2nd innings.

Notably, India registered a six-wicket win against a Sri Lanka XI, providing several positives ahead of the two-Test WTC series. Shubman Gill eased injury concerns with a fluent 44, Devdutt Padikkal strengthened his case for the No. 3 spot with a 142-run knock, while Ravindra Jadeja impressed with both bat and ball.

Also, Madhya Pradesh’s veteran off-spinner Saransh Jain has received a maiden call-up due to Washington Sundar’s unavailability for the first Test match. Sundar is undergoing rehabilitation for a hamstring injury. Jain has been a consistent performer in domestic cricket. According to several media reports, he was in contention for the series.

Meanwhile, Team India has included Aquib Nabi in the squad as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement.

Also, veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will mark his comeback after recovering from a tennis elbow injury suffered during the concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

India’s updated squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka

Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi, Sarfaraz Khan.

(With ANI Inputs)

“}]]