The BCCI is soon expected to announce India’s next Test captain after Rohit Sharma called time on his red-ball career. As per reports, Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah are said to be in the race to become the side’s new leader in the longest format.
The newly-elected leader’s first assignment would be the five-match Test series against England, beginning on June 20. On that note, let’s take a look at who among the two can be a better choice as the captain.
India’s next Test captain: Shubman Gill or Jasprit Bumrah?
Shubman Gill has reportedly emerged as the frontrunner to lead the Indian Test team after Rohit Sharma’s retirement. This is due to him being expected to be a part of the Test setup for all games and having a good rapport with head coach Gautam Gambhir.
The 25-year-old Gill perfectly suits the selector’s long-term plans and he also showcased his impressive leadership for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. As he is not part of T20I setup, the right-hander can concentrate on other two formats.
Jasprit Bumrah is a natural leadership choice, as he recently captained India in two Test matches in Australia in the absence of Sharma. Notably, the right-arm pacer helped India register their biggest-ever win (by 295 runs) in Australia in Perth.
However, Bumrah is likely to miss out on a few Tests in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle to manage his workload. Moreover, the 2026 T20 World Cup will require the pacer to be fresh and fit as well. Therefore, he is not likely to be India’s next Test captain.
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Who former cricketers are backing as India’s next Test captain?
Kris Srikkanth
Former Indian batter Kris Srikkanth opined that Jasprit Bumrah is the ideal choice for India’s Test captain. He said (via India Today):
“As of now, I think Bumrah should be the captain. If I were the chairman of selectors, I would make Bumrah the captain. And then I’d say, ‘Boss, play whichever matches you want to’. I’d then appoint KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant as vice-captain, because these are certainties in the XI.”
“Who’s a ready-made captaincy candidate now? Shubman Gill? I don’t think he is still a certainty in the XI,” Srikkanth added.
Sunil Gavaskar
The legendary Indian batter, Sunil Gavaskar backed Jasprit Bumrah and feels the pacer knows how to manage his workload. He said (via NDTV Sports):
“Who better to know what is the workload for himself than himself? If you appoint somebody else, they would always want an extra over from Bumrah. If he is your No. 1 bowler, he will himself know that ‘yes, this is the time I must take a break’. To me, it has to be Jasprit Bumrah only.”
Moeen Ali
As per former England all-rounder Moeen Ali, the risk of injuries to Jasprit Bumrah might force selectors to pick Shubman Gill as India’s next Test captain. He said (via Hindustan Times):
“I think it will be Shubman Gill. Ideally, the BCCI would want Jasprit Bumrah to captain because he is a very good captain, a good leader who has done it before. But because of his injury record, he might not be able to last the whole series.”
Sanjay Manjrekar
Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar doesn’t feel the selectors should look beyond Jasprit Bumrah for the captaincy. He wrote on X:
“I am shocked that we are looking at any other option other than Bumrah as Test captain! Worried about his injuries? Then choose your vice-captain carefully.”
Ravichandran Ashwin
Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin thinks Jasprit Bumrah deserves the captaincy, but also noted the pacer’s workload issues. He said (via Sportstar):
“The team that will tour England will be a completely new team, a transformed team where Bumrah will probably be the senior-most player. He is obviously one of the captaincy options; I think he deserves the captaincy, but the selectors will take a decision based on his physical capacity.”
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