Mumbai: The national selection panel headed by MSK Prasad has chosen R Ashwin as Team India’s new vice-captain, it is learnt. According to sources in the Indian cricket board, the five selectors (MSK Prasad, Jatin Paranjape, Gagan Khoda, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh) have unanimously picked the in-form Ashwin to lead the side in the absence of Virat Kohli.
Their choice was conveyed to the BCCI on Thursday and the announcement is likely to be made in the next 24 hours. Earlier, the selectors had named Ajinkya Rahane as Kohli’s deputy. But a new vice-captain had to be chosen after Rahane was ruled out of the remaining two Tests owing to an injury.
There could not have been a happier time for Ashwin. On Thursday, he went past Javagal Srinath’s tally of 236 to become the seventh highest wicket-taker for India. He grabbed another 5-wicket haul (tallying 23 times) on the second day of the ongoing Test in Mumbai. The 30-year-old is currently playing in his 43rd Test.
