‘Pant did nothing wrong’: Mohammad Kaif questions BCCI after vice-captaincy snub

India’s decision to remove Rishabh Pant as Test vice-captain has sparked fresh debate, and former cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes the wicketkeeper-batter deserved to continue in the leadership role. Kaif said Pant remains India’s biggest match-winner in Test cricket and questioned the selectors for judging him based on performances in a different format.

The selectors recently named KL Rahul as India’s new vice-captain for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, replacing Pant despite the latter being seen as a future leader in the red-ball setup.

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Mohammad Kaif backs Rishabh Pant after vice-captaincy snub

Pant was appointed India’s Test vice-captain after Shubman Gill became the new captain for the England tour last year. The move had indicated that the selectors viewed Pant as an important part of the team’s leadership group for the future.

He even led India in the Guwahati Test against South Africa when Gill missed the match due to a neck injury. However, India suffered a heavy 408-run defeat and lost the series 2-0.

Now, with KL Rahul replacing Pant as vice-captain, Kaif feels the selectors have made an unfair decision.

“Rishabh Pant hasn’t done anything wrong. Red-ball and white-ball cricket are two very different formats. You are judging him based on the IPL, saying that he is not doing a good job as captain, that his team is losing, and that he is not scoring runs. But I believe there is no bigger match-winner for India in Tests, as a batter, than Rishabh Pant,” said Kaif on JioHotstar.

Kaif questions selectors over mixing formats

Pant has endured a disappointing IPL 2026 season as captain of Lucknow Super Giants, with both his batting form and leadership coming under criticism.

However, Kaif believes performances in T20 cricket should not influence selection decisions in the Test format.

According to him, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has shown inconsistency while making decisions regarding players.

“The problem is that people mix the formats. Why didn’t Auqib Nabi get the nod? Because he didn’t take wickets in the IPL? These are two completely different formats. KL Rahul is 34 years old. On one hand, you don’t pick Mohammed Shami, saying that age is not on his side and that you are looking at younger players.

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“So, I’d want them to be consistent. Either go by form, regardless of age, and if you are scoring runs or taking wickets, you should get picked. Because I think Rishabh Pant deserved to continue as vice-captain,” he added.

Pant still one of India’s most important Test players

Despite his recent struggles in white-ball cricket, Pant continues to be one of India’s most impactful players in Tests, especially in overseas conditions.

His aggressive batting style and ability to change matches quickly have made him a key figure in India’s red-ball setup over the last few years.

The decision to remove him from the vice-captaincy role has now added another talking point ahead of India’s upcoming Test season.