Former Indian captain Anil Kumble has picked a player to lead the national team in Test cricket following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format. While many expected young batter Shubman Gill to be a frontrunner for the role, Kumble backed Jasprit Bumrah to captain India in the Test series in England.
After Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, discussions began over who should succeed him as India’s next red-ball captain. Jasprit Bumrah was the vice-captain during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The right-arm pacer also led the team in two matches during the Test series in Australia.
The Vice-Captain Comes In and Takes Over – Anil Kumble Backs Jasprit Bumrah
Anil Kumble said that Jasprit Bumrah should be given the captaincy for the upcoming Test series against England, despite concerns about his recent injury. Bumrah missed the second innings of the fifth Test against Australia due to injury.
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Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Kumble added that if Bumrah is unavailable at any point, the vice-captain would step in to lead the team.
“Maybe just for this series (against England), go with Bumrah, and then see how his fitness is. Whenever that happens, the vice-captain comes in and takes over,” said Kumble on Espncricinfo.
Shubman Gill Needs One Good Series in England – MSK Prasad
Former India selector MSK Prasad has also backed Jasprit Bumrah to captain the team in the upcoming five-Test series. He said that Bumrah and Shubman Gill are being considered for the role, but believes it’s better to ease pressure on Gill and allow him to concentrate on his batting.
“I think I’m okay with either of them (Gill or Bumrah). They’re considering both. I think to start off with a series like England, we don’t want anyone getting under pressure. See, I think Shubman needs one good series in England or New Zealand so he can focus on his batting,” MSK Prasad said (via India Today).
“So, I think Bumrah is a fantastic leader. There’s no second thought about that. You can start with Bumrah and make Shubman vice-captain”, he added.
Jasprit Bumrah and Shubman Gill’s Performance in BGT 2024-25
Jasprit Bumrah led India to a dominant 295-run win over Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, despite a poor first-innings score of 150. He was named Player of the Series for taking 32 wickets in five matches.
In contrast, Shubman Gill struggled during the series, managing just 93 runs in five innings across three Tests. He has scored 716 runs in away Test matches at an average of 27.54, with one century and two fifties. India are set to face England in a five-match Test series starting June 20, 2025.
However, Gill has impressed in the IPL as the Gujarat Titans’ captain. He guided them to 13 wins in 23 games and scored 934 runs with a century and seven fifties. However, his success in the Test arena remains a challenge.
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