'I wasn't expecting it but very happy and proud,' KL Rahul reacts after being named India's vice-captain for Australia tour

KL Rahul said it was a "proud moment" and he was not expecting it after he was named Team India's limited-overs vice-captain. The Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) skipper has been rewarded for his consistent performances in the white-ball game.

Rohit Sharma, who has been Virat Kohli's deputy for a while now in the limited-overs formats, was not named in India's 18-man squad for their upcoming tour of Australia. The Mumbai Indians (MI) is recovering from an injury and his situation is being closely monitored by the Indian cricket team's management.

"It is a very happy and proud moment. I wasn't expecting it, but I'm very happy. I am ready for responsibility and challenge and I will try to do my best for my team as much as I can," KL Rahul has said as quoted by his franchise KXIP.

Rahul, who is currently leading KXIP in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 that is underway in the UAE, said he does not want to get carried away with the big news as he wants to focus on leading his side to their maiden IPL title.

The Karnataka batsman said he would like to take one day at a time as the next few weeks would be crucial as KXIP are left with two league matches and a win in both the games can see them qualifying for the playoffs. "I am looking forward to the coming tour but the next 2-3 weeks before that are very important. The next 2-3 months will be very important. I am thinking about one day at a time, not much forward at the moment," Rahul further added.

KXIP next take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Friday, before they face the already-eliminated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the same venue on Nov. 1.