Ajinkya Rahane's subtle demotion could be the start of the end for him

When India announced their roster for the next trip to South Africa, most of the focus was on the last paragraph of the press release, which nonchalantly disclosed that Virat Kohli's tenure as ODI captain was finished. For the next few days, there was a lot of fuss about Kohli on Twitter; nevertheless, the fact that another senior member of the Test squad had also been demoted was mostly overlooked. 

Last December, Rahane led India to an incredible recovery, pulling them out of the abyss produced by the ignominy of '36' in Adelaide and leading them to a series victory that had never been achieved by an Indian captain before. He stroked his way to a magnificent hundred in Melbourne, as polished as ever, the buttery drives and glances coming off his bat superbly. It certainly felt like the start of Rahane 2.0.