As KL Rahul looks set to don the captain's hat in the five-match T20I series against South Africa beginning here on Thursday, former India pacer Irfan Pathan is confident the swashbuckling cricketer will come out from the test as a good leader.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
India will be chasing history during the bilateral series. Should the hosts win the opening match, they will achieve an all-time record of winning 13 consecutive T20Is.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
This will be the first time Rahul will be captaining India in a T20 game which begins preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup later in Australia this year.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Pathan said that while it will be a test of skill and the ability to handle the pressure for every player on the side, it will be more so for Rahul.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Definitely, an exam for all the players but most importantly KL Rahul as the leader. I think, so far, whenever you go in the exam, you want to prepare well. He has prepared well -- he has taken Lucknow Super Giants to the (IPL) playoffs and he did well. According to me, he has become better as a captain," opined Pathan on Star Sports' show Follow The Blues.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The former cricketer felt that Rahul's earlier stint as Punjab Kings skipper had given him good leadership experience, which he implemented while leading the Super Giants.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
"Because, previously, when he captained Punjab, he was focused more on taking care and understanding his leadership, but eventually, now I feel he is doing better as a captain.<\/p>\r\n\r\n