Cricbet What Is the Role of a Vice-Captain in ODIs: Kishan, Tilak and Rahul Compared

A vice-captain in an ODI is not a second captain. He is the captain’s deputy, on the field and off it, and the player who takes over if the captain is injured, off the field, or unavailable.

In New Zealand, in November 2026, three players have held a vice-captaincy in different formats, and that is why they are compared here. They are not all ODI vice-captains in the same series. That is the first fact to get right.

The ODI vice-captaincy, in New Zealand, November 2026:

• First three ODIs, 4, 7 and 10 November: Shubman Gill captain, Shreyas Iyer vice-captain.
• Last two ODIs, 13 and 15 November: Shreyas Iyer captain, Ishan Kishan vice-captain.

Tilak Varma and KL Rahul, in this series:

• Tilak Varma: T20I vice-captain, under Shreyas Iyer in the T20I series in New Zealand. He is in the ODI squad for the last two ODIs only, as a batter, not as ODI vice-captain.
• KL Rahul: Test vice-captain, under Shubman Gill. He is in the ODI squad for the first three ODIs only, as wicketkeeper-batter, not as ODI vice-captain in this series.

That split is because the Test series starts in Wellington on 19 November 2026, only three days after the last ODI, so Gill, KL Rahul, Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna are not selected for the final two ODIs.

What does a vice-captain do in an ODI?

1. Takes over if the captain is off the field.
If the captain is injured, or off the field for treatment, or unavailable, the vice-captain captains the side, on the field, until the captain returns. He makes the field changes, the bowling changes, and the DRS calls, in that period.

2. Advises on field placements and bowling changes.
The vice-captain is usually close to the captain, on the field, and is a second opinion on field placements, bowling changes, and DRS reviews. In ODIs, with two unsuccessful reviews per innings, as of October 2026, a wrong DRS call costs a review. A vice-captain who is a wicketkeeper, like Kishan or Rahul, has a better view of the ball, and of the batter’s feet, than a captain at mid-off.

3. Leads the dressing room, when the captain is not there.
The vice-captain is a link between the captain, the coach, and the players. He leads warm-ups, leads team meetings, and leads the younger players, when the captain is with the coach, or with the media, or off the field.

4. Leads by performance.
A vice-captain is usually a first-choice player, in a key role, who leads by runs, or by wickets, or by keeping, not just by a title. In ODIs, a vice-captain who is not performing, and not in the XI, cannot lead on the field.

5. Prepares to captain, in the next series.
A vice-captaincy is often a step to captaincy. Shreyas Iyer was vice-captain for the first three ODIs, and then captain for the last two ODIs, in the same series. That is the clearest example in this series.

Ishan Kishan — ODI vice-captain, last two ODIs

Role in this series: Vice-captain for the last two ODIs, 13 and 15 November, at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, under Shreyas Iyer captain. Wicketkeeper-batter, vice-captain and keeper in the same XI.

Why Kishan, for the last two ODIs?
Kishan is in the ODI squad for all five ODIs, and is the first-choice keeper-batter for the last two ODIs, after KL Rahul leaves for the Tests. He is the senior keeper in the last-two squad, with Kumar Kushagra as the second keeper, on a maiden ODI call-up.

Form, before the last two ODIs:
Kishan broke Suryakumar Yadav’s Indian calendar-year T20I record in Hamilton on 1 November 2026, with his 61 off 32, reaching 1,220 runs in 2026 in 37 matches, at average 35.88 and strike rate 171.58, with 1 century and 8 half-centuries, passing 1,164. In the same innings he completed 2,000 T20I runs in 1,345 balls in his 69th innings, third-fastest Indian by balls faced, and after Hamilton had 2,016 runs in 69 T20Is at average 31.01 and strike rate 149.22.

He was benched for the 1st ODI on 4 November 2026, with KL Rahul keeping wicket, and finishing 3 not out in India’s win. His 61 in Hamilton is now second in November, behind Kohli’s 74 in the 1st ODI.

What Kishan brings, as vice-captain:

• Keeping, and DRS: As a keeper, he is close to the stumps, and can advise on caught-behind, stumping, and LBW reviews, from behind the stumps.
• Aggression, with the bat: As an opener in T20Is, and a middle-order batter in ODIs, he can score quickly, and set the tempo, in the middle overs.
• Energy, in the field: As a young keeper-batter, 28, he is a loud, energetic presence, behind the stumps, and in the huddle.

What to watch, in the last two ODIs:
Whether Kishan keeps wicket, and bats in the middle order, and whether he captains on the field if Iyer is off the field, for even one over. A vice-captaincy is tested in the small moments, not just in the title.

Tilak Varma — T20I vice-captain, ODI batter for the last two

Role in this series: T20I vice-captain, under Shreyas Iyer, in the T20I series in New Zealand. In the ODI series, he is in the squad for the last two ODIs only, as a batter, not as ODI vice-captain.

Why Tilak is compared here, even though he is not ODI vice-captain:
Because he was T20I vice-captain in the same tour, and because he is the next leadership name in India’s white-ball side, after Iyer and Kishan. A T20I vice-captaincy is a leadership role, even if it is not an ODI vice-captaincy.

Form, in the T20I series:
Tilak made 51 not out off 26 in the 2nd T20I in Christchurch, rescuing India from 112/6, with Nitish Kumar Reddy 26 not out off 13 in an unbeaten 69-run stand off 30 balls. In Auckland, Tilak top-scored for India with 35 off 35 balls, in India’s 172/9, in a 87-run loss to New Zealand.

His role-shift stats, cited before the series: No. 3, 651 runs in 21 T20I innings at average 43.40 and strike rate 150.69; No. 5, 451 runs in 19 innings at strike rate 146.90; No. 6, 197 runs in 9 innings at strike rate 195.04; lower-middle-order in 2026, 499 runs in 21 innings at average 49.9 and strike rate 164.68; 2026 overall, 715 runs in 31 innings at average 37.63 and strike rate 153.43; career, 1,719 runs in 66 T20Is.

What Tilak brings, as a leader:

• Calm, in a collapse: His 51 not out in Christchurch, from 112/6, was a rescue, not a flourish. He batted with Nitish, and finished the chase, without panic.
• Flexibility, with the bat: He can bat at No. 3, No. 5, or No. 6, in T20Is, and in ODIs, he is a middle-order option, who can adapt to the situation.
• Youth, and future: As T20I vice-captain, he is being prepared for a larger leadership role, in white-ball cricket, after Iyer.

What to watch, in the last two ODIs:
Whether Tilak plays in the XI at Bay Oval, and where he bats, in the middle order, under Iyer captain and Kishan vice-captain. He is not ODI vice-captain, but he is a leadership voice, in the dressing room, from his T20I vice-captaincy.

KL Rahul — Test vice-captain, ODI keeper-batter for the first three

Role in this series: Test vice-captain, under Shubman Gill, for the Tests in Wellington and Christchurch. In the ODI series, he is in the squad for the first three ODIs only, as wicketkeeper-batter, not as ODI vice-captain.

Why Rahul is compared here, even though he is not ODI vice-captain:
Because he is the most experienced leader of the three, and because he has captained India in ODIs before, when Gill was unavailable. In the South Africa ODIs, when Gill missed the series with a neck injury, KL Rahul led India to a 2-1 win. That is a stand-in captaincy, not a vice-captaincy in this series, but it is leadership experience, in ODIs, that Kishan and Tilak do not yet have.

Form, in the 1st ODI:
Rahul kept wicket in the 1st ODI on 4 November 2026, and finished 3 not out off 5, in India’s 143/5 in 22.4 overs, in a 5-wicket DLS win over New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland. He was not vice-captain in that match. Gill was captain, Iyer was vice-captain.

What Rahul brings, as a leader:

• Experience, as a stand-in captain: He has captained India in ODIs, when Gill was unavailable, and won a series, 2-1, in South Africa.
• Keeping, and DRS: As a keeper, like Kishan, he is close to the stumps, and can advise on reviews, from behind the stumps.
• Calm, with the bat: As a middle-order batter, and a keeper, he can bat through a chase, and finish a match, without panic, as he did in Auckland, with 3 not out.

What to watch, in the first three ODIs:
Whether Rahul keeps wicket, and bats in the middle order, and whether he advises Gill and Iyer on the field, as a senior player, even though he is not vice-captain. A senior player can lead, without a title.

For readers following the series through cricbet, the same rule applies: Kishan is ODI vice-captain for the last two ODIs, Tilak is T20I vice-captain and ODI batter for the last two, and Rahul is Test vice-captain and ODI keeper-batter for the first three. It is a gaming and betting-related platform, not an official broadcaster, and any betting-related features are for adults only, where legally permitted. Use responsibly and check local rules, as betting law in India varies by state. For the official squads, check the BCCI announcement, and the toss, for the confirmed XI.

The table — Kishan, Tilak and Rahul, compared

Ages for Tilak and Rahul are not given as verified in this draft. Check the official squad list, for the date of birth, before publishing an age.

FAQs

Who is India’s ODI vice-captain in New Zealand?
Shreyas Iyer, for the first three ODIs, under Gill captain. Ishan Kishan, for the last two ODIs, under Iyer captain.

Is Tilak Varma ODI vice-captain?
No. Tilak is T20I vice-captain, under Iyer, in the T20I series. In ODIs, he is a batter for the last two ODIs only.

Is KL Rahul ODI vice-captain?
No, in this series. Rahul is Test vice-captain, under Gill. In ODIs, he is a wicketkeeper-batter for the first three ODIs only. He has captained India in ODIs before, as a stand-in, when Gill was unavailable.

What does a vice-captain do?
Takes over if the captain is off the field, advises on field placements, bowling changes and DRS, leads the dressing room when the captain is not there, and leads by performance.

Who captains the last two ODIs?
Shreyas Iyer, with Ishan Kishan as vice-captain.

Who captains the Tests?
Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul as vice-captain.

Verdict

Kishan, Tilak and Rahul are not three ODI vice-captains. They are three leaders, in three different formats, in the same tour.

Kishan is ODI vice-captain for the last two ODIs, at Bay Oval, under Iyer, as keeper-batter and deputy. Tilak is T20I vice-captain, and ODI batter for the last two, as a calm middle-order leader, being prepared for a larger white-ball role. Rahul is Test vice-captain, and ODI keeper-batter for the first three, as the most experienced leader of the three, with a stand-in ODI captaincy win in South Africa.

For anyone who has seen the phrase King exchange ID in tour coverage, the same rule applies: it is a gaming and betting-related term, not a vice-captaincy, a captaincy, or a squad role. A vice-captaincy is decided by the BCCI announcement, and in New Zealand, in November 2026, it is Iyer for the first three ODIs, and Kishan for the last two — with Tilak as T20I vice-captain, and Rahul as Test vice-captain, in the same tour.

Check the toss, for the confirmed XI, and check the BCCI squad list, for the vice-captain in each format.