Gavaskar says Rahul wasn't even a captain for Karnataka, saying he didn't know where to lead.

Gavaskar had harsh words for the 29-year-old, saying that Rahul often looked clueless when he and Temba Bavuma savaged the Indian attack at Boland Park, but sounded optimistic about the situation getting better over time.

India’s new captain is KL Rahul. While Rahul has experience as the captain of the Punjab Kings in the IPL, he hasn’t had great success. It did not get any better as India lost both matches with him – the second Test in Johannesburg and Wednesday’s ODI in Paarl. How do you feel about Rahul as the future leader of India? You may disagree. Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian captain, isn’t very impressed with Rahul’s leadership style at the moment. Gavaskar said Rahul looked clueless at times when Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen bludgeoned the Indian attack at Boland Park, but he sounded optimistic that it would improve over time. Rahul’s experience as a captain is limited, Gavaskar pointed out. The Punjab Kings finished sixth in both the 2020 and 2021 editions of the IPL under Rahul’s leadership. In addition, he has never coached a team in the Ranji Trophy or List-A competitions. There are a number of factors that point toward Rahul’s leadership stint not being an easy one.

“Rahul has just captaincy experience in two IPLs. He hasn’t commanded Punjab Kings in any format of the game including the Ranji Trophy or List A. That’s why you have to be patient when you think about him as a captain. Even when you look at Punjab Kings’ performance in the past two years, he hasn’t done anything noteworthy,” Gavaskar explained.