5 players who could become India's next Test vice-captain

After Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s sudden retirement from Tests after the 3rd Test against Australia in Melbourne last December, Virat Kohli has taken over as captain of the Indian Test team, undoubtedly a huge honour for the 26-year-old. The retirement of Dhoni came as a surprise to many in the country and Kohli himself admitted that he had no idea of Dhoni’s intention to call it quits from the longer format. While Kohli’s elevation to the captaincy was a no-brainer, what isn’t is the choice of the next Indian Test vice-captain. The BCCI hasn’t appointed an official vice-captain in recent times, but it is time that they now do so as Kohli is still a novice at captaincy and he will need a deputy who he can bounce off ideas with and ease the pressure on him.With a one-off Test against Bangladesh scheduled for June, we take a look at five players who can be appointed as India’s next vice-captain.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

Indias lead spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is an extremely popular choice to become Indias next vice-captain. According to his Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming,Ashwin studies the game extremely well and is a cricket tragic, statistically motivated.

Ashwin has earned praise forhis work ethic and sincerity. In addition, he is extremely composed and at the same time,aggressivein his approach and hisconduct onthe field is praiseworthy.If theres anyone who can match MS Dhonis media handling skills, it is Ashwin. The Indian team management has often sent Ashwin to tackle tricky press conferences, like the one immediately after Virat Kohlis altercation with an Indian journalist.

Ashwin has gained the respect of his teammates over the years and looks set to be the number one spinner for years to come. He has immense experience and the selectors might feel that he is the right man to complement Kohli.

#2 Rohit Sharma

The captaincy of the Mumbai Indians (MI) has undoubtedly brought the best out ofRohit Sharmas game. He has not only shown himself to be an astute captain but also displayed the ability to lead from the front. With that being the case, it would be foolish to not consider Rohit for the role of vice-captain.

However, a big question lies as to his consistency as a Test batsman. If he can quickly cement his place in the middle-order of the Test team, theres no doubt that he would be one of the top contenders to be Kohlis deputy.

After all, Kohli had himself praised Rohits captaincy skills and cited him to have one of the best cricketing brains. "Rohit has a tremendous cricketing brain. I often take his advice during matches. He has shown his capability while leading Mumbai Indians in the IPL," he had said back in 2013.

#3 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan came in for widespread criticism for his performance on the Australian tour, eventually leading to him being dropped for the 4th and final Test in Sydney. Dhawan, however, hit back at his critics by performing exceptionally well in the World Cup and is likely to earn a recall into the Test side.

Dhawan has shown that he is a confidence and rhythm player and perhaps being given the responsibility of the vice-captaincy might galvanise himto improve his performances. Also, despite recent reports, Dhawan is believed to share an extremely good rapport with Kohli and the duo will have the required camaraderie to excel at the helm of Indian Test cricket.

#4 Ajinkya Rahane

Considering his self-effacing and unassuming nature, Ajinkya Rahane is perhaps the antithesis of the modern Indian cricketer. He is one of a handful of Indian players who manages to not lose his temper irrespective of the situation and, most importantly,has improved as a player by leaps and bounds in recent years. Apart from MS Dhoni having praised Rahane for being an extremely selfless player, he has also earned the praise of Shane Watson for his tactical inputs while playing for RR.

His calm demeanour could probably complement Kohlis aggressiveness, and at 26, he has the potential to be at the helm of the team for many years to come. He is now a permanent fixture for India in all formats and having captained various domestic teams, it is maybe time for him to take centre stage.

#5 Wriddhiman Saha

Having been the wicketkeeping understudy to MS Dhoni for the last four years, Wriddhiman Saha will finally get the chance to don the gloves for India in Test cricket on a long-term basis. Saha has been part of the Indian set up since 2010but has played only four Test matches. This has largely been due to the robustness of Dhoni, but Saha has continued to excel in all forms of domestic cricket and has proved to be an able player with the bat as well.

Recently, Virat Kohli came out in support of Saha as the next Indian wicketkeeper and this will boost the confidence of Saha. The 30-year-old has been a permanent fixture for the Bengal team and has captaincy experience, having led East Zone in the Deodhar trophy. Saha is a senior player in terms of age and experience in domestic cricketand he can prove to be the perfect vice-captain, giving valuable advice to Kohli from behind the stumps.