Top-order batsman KL Rahul was on Saturday named vice-captain of the Indian team for the Test series against South Africa. Rahul replaces Rohit Sharma, who has been ruled out of the Test series due to a hamstring injury.
The build-up to India's tour to South Africa has been far from routine, with Virat Kohli losing his ODI captaincy to Sharma and then stating he was informed of the decision just before the announcement. Kohli also contradicted the statements of BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly regarding T20 captaincy, pointing to a breakdown in communication within Indian cricket.
With rising cases in South Africa and other parts of the world linked to the new Omicron variant, the tour itself was clouded in uncertainty up until recently. But the Indian team landed in Johannesburg at the weekend, and started preparations for the Tests.
The promotion of Rahul to the vice-captain's position means regular deputy Ajinkya Rahane - who guided a depleted India to a famous Test series win in Australia - has been sidelined. Rahul is one of the few all-formats batsmen in the team and is likely to be groomed as captain of the red and white-ball outfits.
The first Test starts in Centurion on Boxing Day. India will also play three ODIs, with Kohli confirming his availability for the one-day leg of the tour and rubbishing reports of a rift with new white-ball captain Sharma.
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Continental champions
Best Asian Player: Massaki Todokoro (Japan)
Best European Player: Adam Wardzinski (Poland)
Best North & Central American Player: DJ Jackson (United States)
Best African Player: Walter Dos Santos (Angola)
Best Oceanian Player: Lee Ting (Australia)
Best South American Player: Gabriel De Sousa (Brazil)
Best Asian Federation: Saudi Jiu-Jitsu Federation
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
