Archive · 11 Aug 2026
KL Rahul better off without captaincy responsibilities, says Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer is a former cricket player from India.
He thinks a player named KL Rahul plays his best when he is just a batter.
Jaffer believes the job of captain makes Rahul feel extra pressure.
That pressure can stop Rahul from playing naturally.
Jaffer says if Rahul is left alone to bat, he will score a lot of runs, maybe 500 to 600 in one season.
He calls Rahul a 'bankable' player, which means the team can always count on him.
Jaffer thinks Rahul can win two or three games on his own every single season.
India is getting ready to play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
In a practice match, Rahul scored 40 runs as an opening batter, and India won by six wickets.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer said KL Rahul is better off without captaincy, arguing it adds extra pressure on his personality.
Jaffer believes that if Rahul focuses purely on batting, he will always contribute 500-600 runs and win 2-3 games on his own every season.
Jaffer made the remarks on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, where he called Rahul a 'bankable player'.
India is set to face Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series in Galle and Colombo, where Rahul is expected to play a core senior batting role.
In the practice match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI, Rahul scored 40 off 67 balls as opener, and India won by six wickets.
- Who
- Former India opener Wasim Jaffer; India batter KL Rahul; India captain Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal and Ravindra Jadeja.
- What
- Jaffer stated that KL Rahul performs best without captaincy and should concentrate solely on batting ahead of India's Test series against Sri Lanka.
- When
- Ahead of India's upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka; no exact dates were given in the article.
- Where
- Galle and Colombo, where the Test series will be played; the practice match was against a Sri Lanka Cricket XI.
- Why
- Jaffer believes captaincy puts added pressure on Rahul's personality, and freeing him from leadership duties allows his natural game to flourish.
- Speaker
- Wasim Jaffer, former India opener and Punjab Kings batting coach
- Subject
- KL Rahul, India senior batter
- Claim
- Rahul is better off without captaincy and could score 500-600 runs per season if left to bat
- Where stated
- The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan
- Upcoming series
- India vs Sri Lanka, two-match Test series
- Test venues
- Galle and Colombo
- Rahul practice score
- 40 off 67 balls in the first innings
- Practice match result
- India won by six wickets; Shubman Gill 44, Devdutt Padikkal 142, Ravindra Jadeja impressed