Rajput said that his first-choice pick will be KL Rahul, who led the Indian team in South Africa ODIs earlier this year, in the absence of Rohit Sharma. He added that Rahul has been leading the Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG) franchise well, and has good experience in this role.
“One is obviously KL Rahul, who is leading his franchise very well. He has also captained the Indian team in the past when Virat and Rohit were injured. So I think he has got a good experience behind his back,” Rajput said on CricTracker’s ‘Not Just Cricket’ show.
“Another strong contender, I feel, is Rishabh Pant. If you give him responsibility, he responds to it quite well. But over a short period of time, I will not be surprised if Ashwin has been given an opportunity to lead India in Test matches. He is a fantastic and intelligent guy, gets the team together, and commands respect among juniors as well as seniors. But looking ahead, definitely KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant,” he added.