The Indian Cricket Team, as far as test cricket is concerned, is going through a transition phase at the moment. There is a lot of turmoil in the test team, and it is reflected in their performance. Many players who were part of the Indian Test team’s core group have left. Also, there is no clarity as of now about who will be the next test captain of the Indian Cricket Team.
There are rumors that Rohit Sharma, who captained Team India in the last test series in Australia will not be picked in the test side in the upcoming India vs England 5-match test series. Today, we see the potential candidates after Rohit Sharma for the Indian Cricket Team Test Captaincy. So don’t go anywhere.
Indian Test Team in a Transition Phase
The Indian Cricket Team has had a tough time in the last 6 months or so. Their performance has declined, and several key players have left the team behind due to a lack of performance and impact in the last 3 years. Some of those players who used to be a part of the core group of the Indian test team are Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Ishant Sharma, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, etc.
Team India has lost their first home test series in 12 years, white-washed by New Zealand 3-0 recently. After that, they lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 by 3-1 (5-match series). Their batting has been a flop show with big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma not scoring runs in red-ball cricket.
India’s bowling has been their strength in the last few years. They have won a lot of test matches and series on the strength of their bowling. But, their bowling didn’t live up to the expectation in the last two series.
Now, the next test assignment for the Indian Cricket Team is England (in England).
REPORTS: Rohit Sharma to Not Get Picked for the IND vs ENG Test Series
There are reports in the media that India’s current test captain Rohit Sharma might not get picked for the upcoming India vs England test series. Rohit is not getting younger anymore. He hasn’t performed well in red-ball cricket in the last two series. Also, the fans and the experts have questioned Rohit’s leadership in the longest format of the game.
It might look more than a report as it seems like the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) will look for other test captaincy options before the IND vs ENG Test Series. Even during the BGT 2024-25, Rohit Sharma didn’t play the last test due to a poor show with the bat and in the captaincy.
Now, we will see who are the possible candidates for the next captain of the Indian Test Team.
Possible Candidates for the Next Test Captain of the Indian Cricket Team
(1) Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is one of the finest bowlers in world cricket currently. He has been the backbone of the Indian Cricket Team across formats. If we particularly talk about test cricket, he has won a lot of games for Team India in the last few years. Even in home games, where Team India spins the opposition out of the game, he won the games in critical situations. We have seen it in the home series against England at the beginning of 2024.
Jasprit Bumrah is the leader of a bowling unit. He has also captained the Indian test team for a few games in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma. The pacer led the side in a one-off test in England in 2022 and two tests in the recently concluded BGT 2024-25. India won the first test in BGT in his captaincy.
Bumrah knows how to handle the pressure situations. He has been in these types of situations quite a few times over the years. Giving him the captaincy might be a good thing as he brings a wealth of experience with him.
Challenges in Making Jasprit Bumrah the Test Captain
(1) His Workload Management
There are a few challenges in making Jasprit Bumrah the next test captain. First of all, he is a fast bowler, so his workload management is something the team management has to look at. If he doesn’t play all tests or most of the games because of workload management, too much chopping and changing won’t help the Indian Cricket Team
(2) Injury Concerns
A fast bowler is always injury-prone. If there is a breakdown between an important match or a series, the captain’s absence will hinder the team’s strategies.
(3) Bowler-captain Challenges
Although we have seen a few bowler captains in the test team, they have faced difficulties in managing the game, setting the field, and making tactical decisions. It might also affect his bowling performance as well. He has to focus more on the team’s strategies rather than his bowling spells.
(4) Over-use or Under-use of Himself
Sometimes, if you are a bowler and a captain as well, you might over-bowl themselves for the team’s needs. Sometimes, you think that I might be bowling too. So in that case, the bowler-captain might under-bowl himself thinking that the other members of the team are thinking the same.
(5) Longevity as Captain
There might be an issue of longevity in the role. Given the physical demands for a pacer, he might not continue in the captaincy role in the longer run.
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(2) Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill was seen as the next big thing in Indian Cricket. Because of his potential, there is a temptation that he might be the next captain of the Indian Cricket Team across formats. He has captained the IPL franchise (Gujarat Titans) and has the quality to become a leader.
Concerns Regarding Shubman Being the Next Captain
Shubman has immense potential, but he needs to first establish himself in the test side. He has done well in whit-ball cricket (particularly in ODIs), but has under-achieved in red-ball cricket.
(3) KL Rahul
KL Rahul has led the Indian Cricket Team quite a few times over the years. He has the experience of captaining the side in the IPL, where he has led Punjab Kings (earlier known as Kings XI Punjab), and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
As far as international captaincy, he has led the team in one test against South Africa in 2022. He also captained the white-ball side in a few games.
The challenge in Making KL Rahul the Next Test Captain of India
Rahul’s consistency in batting is the main issue here. He has a lot of talent and good technique to become a great test batter. He has shown it over the years, scoring runs in alien conditions. But, he hasn’t made runs consistently. That’s why his place has had a question mark, leaving aside the captaincy.
(4) Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant is still young. He is fearless and has all the qualities of becoming a leader. In fact, before his accident, he was seen as the next test captain of Team India across formats (especially in tests).
He has made a strong comeback after almost 1.5 years and could be the candidate for the next test captain of India. Pant has done the captaincy for Delhi Capitals (DC) in multiple seasons and will lead the LSG side in IPL 2025. So he has the experience of captaincy at the professional level. He was also the vice-captain of the Indian test team in a few series.
Challenges for Pant
After his accident, he has fallen behind in the captaincy race of the Indian team. The team management has to keep an eye on his fitness level before considering him for a full-time captaincy role.
Outside Chance for Virat Kohli?
During the BGT 2024-25, a lot of speculations were going on in the media that Virat Kohli might be considered for the test captaincy again, considering the team’s situation. There was also a Mr. Fix-it in the team, and going by the rumors and the media reports, Virat Kohli might have been that Mr. Fix-it.
DISCLAIMER: There was no official confirmation on who was Mr. Fix-it. We are assuming based on the media reports and our following of the game.
Nevertheless, it still looks unlikely that Virat Kohli might come back to captain the test side.
What About Yashasvi Jaiswal?
Jaiswal has done well in tests, as compared to Gill in his short career. He might be in consideration for the leadership in the future if he continues his good form. But as of now, it is too early for him.
CONCLUSION: Who Will Be the Next Test Captain of India?
As of now, it looks like Jasprit Bumrah will get the nod ahead of everyone mentioned above. He has the experience and knows how to handle the pressure situation. Maybe for a short time or a longer run (you never know), Bumrah will be the next test captain of India, especially in the IND vs ENG 2025 Test Series.
What do you think? Who will captain Team India in the future? Comment your opinion below. Thank you for reading. Keep following us for the latest updates.
