Ravi Shastri picks India Test captain: With Rohit Sharma recently retiring from Test cricket, the BCCI selectors will brainstorm to pick the new Test skipper for the Indian cricket team.
It will be revealed in the coming days when the selectors announce the squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against India, which will kick off on June 20. It is not just the selectors who have this on their minds; the ex-cricketers, coaches, and fans have also been voicing their opinions and choices for India’s next Test captain.
Ravi Shastri picks India Test captain
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, too, has revealed his choice. While Jasprit Bumrah is a popular choice among the fans, Shastri reckons Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant should get the role.
Bumrah has led India in three Test matches. While India lost two of them, Bumrah captained India to a famous win in Perth last year. However, Bumrah has had injury issues and is not certain to play all five Tests in England and could even be rested in the home Test season later in the year.
‘I don’t want Jasprit to be made captain’: Ravi Shastri
Shastri said Bumrah would have been the definite choice after his performance as a player and leader in the BGT 2024/25 in Australia. However, the former coach underlined his back injury issues, which crippled him in the Sydney Test as well.
Speaking with the ICC, Shastri said, “See, for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia. But I don’t want Jasprit to be made captain, and then you lose him as a bowler. I think he (Bumrah) has to take his body one game at a time. He’s coming back now after a serious injury.”
‘Give Shubman Gill the opportunity’: Shastri
Shastri believes the BCCI will groom the likes of Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant in the Test captaincy role.
“You groom somebody, and I would say Shubman’s looked very good. Give him the opportunity. He’s 25-26 years of age; even give him time,” Shastri added.
“There’s Rishabh as well. I think these two are the obvious ones I’m looking at because of their age, and they have a decade ahead of them. So, let them learn.”
While Pant has been leading in the IPL for the last few years, Gill got the captaincy of the Gujarat Titans last season. Currently, in IPL 2025, GT are at the top of the points table, having won 8 of their 11 games. Shubman Gill’s leadership in IPL 2025 has impressed Shastri.
“The little I’ve seen of Shubman looks very interesting. Composed, calm, he has all the qualities,” the former coach hailed Gill.
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