![Shubman Gill accused of playing politics with Rishabh Pant [Source: AFP, X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1779275007881_ShubmanGillaccusedofplayingpoliticswithRishabhPant.jpg?type=hq)
Shubman Gill accused of playing politics with Rishabh Pant [Source: AFP, X]
In a recent development, Rishabh Pant lost the vice-captaincy of the Indian Test team amid poor form with the bat. However, his family has now hinted that captain Shubman Gill might have had a role to play in it.
Pant was appointed the vice-captain after the Indian Test team underwent a transition following the retirement of seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin.
However, his form has been inconsistent across formats, which forced the selectors to drop him from the leadership role.
Rishabh Pant’s family hints at politics by Shubman Gil
As the BCCI announced the squad for India’s one-off Test against Afghanistan, Rishabh Pant was officially replaced as vice-captain with KL Rahul. However, Pant’s family has now added a new layer to his whole development.
A fan posted an Instagram reel, accusing captain Shubman Gill of playing backdoor politics. The video claimed that Gill purposely vouched for Rahul as vice-captain to eliminate the threat to his throne.
Because Pant is sometimes seen as the future Test captain, while KL Rahul is much too old to be in the conversation. However, this was just a conspiracy theory with no proof or reliable information.
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Such sensationalising reels often garner thousands of likes and views. However, what caught fans’ attention was that Pant’s sister, Sakshi, had also liked that reel.
This suggests that his family also believes the narrative. However, neither Rishabh Pant nor Sakshi has come forward to issue a clarification.
Fans react to the controversy
Meanwhile, as soon as Sakshi Pant liked the reel, fans on social media exploded. Some stood by Rishabh Pant and family, saying their outrage is justified as the wicketkeeper shouldn’t have been dropped from vice-captaincy.
However, a certain fraction of fans also believes that the BCCI made the right call. Except for the India tour of England in 2025, Pant has delivered inconsistent performances, which led to his snub from the ODI and T20I teams as well.
Not only that, but Shubman Gill fans were also triggered as they believed it was just an agenda to defame the captain amid growing pressure.
India opt for a full-strength squad vs Afghanistan
That being said, despite the one-off Test not being a part of the WTC cycle, the BCCI have decided to field a full-strength squad. Shubman Gill will lead the side, while Devdutt Padikkal has been recalled after his promising domestic performance.
Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar received their maiden call-ups, while Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah were rested to manage their workload. Mohammad Shami and Auqib Nabi missed out as the BCCI doesn’t think they’re ready.
The one-off Test between India and Afghanistan is scheduled for June 6 at the Mullanpur Stadium in Chandigarh.
India squad for Afghanistan Test: Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (VC), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel
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