Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill front-runners to succeed Rohit Sharma as India Test captain: Report

Indian cricket witnessed the end of the ‘Rohit Sharma Era’ in Test cricket on Wednesday with the 38-year-old announcing his retirement from the format. There was a lot of uncertainty over Rohit’s future in the Test format after his disastrous run in Australia, as batter as well as captain, and he decided to end all speculation by announcing his decision on Instagram.

Rohit’s landmark announcement comes at a time when the 18th season of the Indian Premier League is currently underway and the marquee five-Test series in England, which marks the beginning of the 2025-27 cycle, is more than a month away. The BCCI, however, has a massive decision to make before the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee unveils its squad for the upcoming tour – pick Rohit’s successor in the five-day format.

Gill and Bumrah top candidates to succeed Rohit in Tests

According to a report on cricblogger.com, senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah and young opener Shubman Gill have emerged as the frontrunners to lead India in the red-ball format, with the latter slightly ahead on the preference scale. Bumrah has led India in three Tests till date, guiding the team to a thumping 295-run victory in the opening Test of the tour of Australia in Perth, and his experience makes him a suitable candidate for the role.

Bumrah’s fitness issues, however, is what gives Gill the edge in the battle for succession. The leader of the Indian attack had suffered a back injury during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, resulting in an absence of three months from all forms of the game, and he is unlikely to play more than two Tests on the trot in England, with his workload set to be carefully managed going beyond.

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Gill, on the other hand, isn’t just a first-choice opener in Tests and ODIs, he’s also proven his leadership skills with the Gujarat Titans in the ongoing IPL season. And since the Punjab batter has hardly had fitness issues, the BCCI and the Indian team management can bank on his availability for Test assignments in cramped calendar.

“It’s only a matter of formality to announce Gill’s name in the leadership group,” a source was quoted as saying in the report.

The report adds that KL Rahul is also being considered as a candidate for the role, with the wicketkeeper-batter having led India in three Tests – winning two and losing one. Additionally, head coach Gautam Gambhir has reportedly suggested opener Yashasvi Jaiswal’s name for vice-captaincy.

The first Test between England and India gets underway on 20 June at Headingley in Leeds. India’s squad is expected to be announced in the next couple of weeks.