Who will be India’s new Test captain, after Rohit Sharma‘s retirement, has become a hot topic of debate. While many reports have suggested that Shubman Gill will lead the side in England, and Rishabh Pant will be his deputy, some experts feel that isn’t really the right way to go. Sanjay Manjrekar, former India batter and broadcaster feels, that pacer Jasprit Bumrah is team’s best bet, and should be named the skipper.
Jasprit Bumrah Should Lead India in Tests
While there are concerns surrounding his fitness, and whether he will be able to play all five matches, Manjrekar was clear, that whatever matches Bumrah plays, he should be the in-charge of the team. He substantiated his point with the case of Australia tour, where Rohit led the side in only three matches — where he was available.
He wrote on X, “If Bumrah’s availability because of injuries is the issue, didn’t we have Rohit captain India in just 3 off the 5 Tests in Aus recently? Availability can’t be the be all & end all, deservability far more important. Especially in Tests.”
If Bumrah’s availability because of injuries is the issue, didn’t we have Rohit captain India in just 3 off the 5 Tests in Aus recently? Availability can’t be the be all & end all, deservability far more important. Especially in Tests.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 18, 2025
India A Squad Announced
Meanwhile, the BCCI has already named the India A squad for the England tour, where Abhimanyu Easwaran will lead the side. His deputy will be Dhruv Jurel, and the duo are likely to be in the India squad as well. Shubman and Sai Sudharsan will join the India A squad, after the completion of IPL 2025, in time for the second England Lions encounter.
India A Squad for England Tour: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan, Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey.
After 1st Match: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan.
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