Jasprit Bumrah Ignored As Shubman Gill Rises To Test Captaincy
In a major leadership change, Shubman Gill has been promoted as India's Test vice-captain in place of Jasprit Bumrah. This follows after Bumrah is said to have turned down the leadership position for the five-match series against England due to fears about his fitness. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had indicated a desire for a vice-captain to be in the frame for all five Tests, and hence Gill's promotion. Although Bumrah's leadership and experience in India's win at the Perth Test against Australia are recognized, his persistent injury concerns have played a role in the decision. Gill, who is presently captaining Gujarat Titans in the IPL, is regarded as a future national team leader.
Shubman Gill would probably be India's next Test captain since he is said to be the choice to replace Rohit Sharma. The move appears to be in response to a number of reasons such as requiring a longer alternative and Gill having only a 25-year age advantage. The selectors are thinking of making this change before the five-Test England tour of June that will begin the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle.
Jasprit Bumrah, who had earlier been considered a strong candidate to replace Kohli, is now less of a candidate in light of skepticism over his ability to deliver as a pace leader consistently in all formats. Bumrah just came back from a stress fracture in his lower back during the Indian Premier League, which also raised questions about his position as the leader of the team in Test matches. Though he played as acting captain and took India through in two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the recent injury along with workload management this season forced the selectors to play around him. Rohit Sharma, being 38, has not been in good nick lately.
He went out of form during the Test season 2024-25, wherein he scored just 164 runs in eight Tests. His travails were laid bare during series against Australia and Bangladesh, and also in a record home defeat against New Zealand, where India were 3-0 down. Those setbacks have been fueling speculation about searching for a new Test captain, even before Rohit showed any hint of wanting to retire from the format. While Bumrah is a regular player, his captaincy can be influenced by the physical toll of being a bowler in all three forms.
Other names such as KL Rahul, who has captained India three times, came into consideration for the Sydney Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, but since his record is uneven, he has fewer chances. Virat Kohli, who had earlier taken India to 40 wins in 68 Tests, had already resigned, leaving a vacuum for a consistent and reliable leader. Gill, although he had not yet led India in Tests or ODIs, has been found to be a leader in T20Is, when he had led the team against Zimbabwe.
He also leads the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, taking them to the highest level on the table this year following their woeful last season. His consistent availability and relatively healthy career establish him as a very good candidate. Gill has appeared in 32 matches since his Test debut in 2020, playing over two years now, with 1,893 runs at a rate of 35.05 with five hundreds and seven half-centuries. Though his road record has not been that impressive, his last home games have indicated improvement. Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will soon sit down to finalize the squad for the England tour.
The selection of a captain who will remain capable of leading in the future is of the greatest concern, and with Gill's consistent home as well as international record, his likely appointment has become highly likely. Even though Bumrah is an asset for the team, his consistent injury issues and requirement of careful workload handling imply that he is unlikely to assume the captaincy position. Even as the Indian team prepares to cope with a new WTC cycle, a young, safe, and less injury-at-risk skipper like Shubman Gill might be the way forward.
