Mohammad Kaif says it would have been KL Rahul’s call to play Prasidh Krishna in 1st ODI against South Africa

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif reckons it would have been KL Rahul’s call to not drop Prasidh Krishan in the opening ODI against South Africa. India played with three fast bowlers and as many spinners in the playing XI at Ranchi.

Kaif said Rahul would have preferred Krishna ahead of Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. Meanwhile, Krishna returned with figures of 1-48 in 7.2 overs he bowled in the opening ODI and accounted for Corbin Bosch, who was taking the game away from India.

“Sometimes some captains cannot convince the coach. Gill is a young captain and I think he cannot put his thinking properly. KL has been playing for a long time and he even has mutual understanding with Rohit and Virat. I think he would have convinced the management not to drop Prasidh and not play Pant, Reddy or Jurel. There would have been a long meeting and he would have taken a stance,” Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

On the other hand, Kaif believes India will go with the same playing XI in the second ODI against the Proteas.

“Sometimes some captains cannot convince the coach. Gill is a young captain and I think he cannot put his thinking properly. KL has been playing for a long time and he even has mutual understanding with Rohit and Virat. I think he would have convinced the management not to drop Prasidh and not play Pant, Reddy or Jurel. There would have been a long meeting and he would have taken a stance,” he said.

India were able to register a 17-run win in the series opener and they would look to carry the winning impetus. 

The second ODI between India and South Africa will be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur, on Wednesday.