The wait for a full-time fast bowler to take up Test captaincy will continue. Jasprit Bumrah, favourite to lead India after Rohit Sharma stepped down and announced retirement from Test cricket, has sacrificed his captaincy ambitions. The reason is: workload management. Bumrah is unlikely to feature in all five matches of the India vs England Test series next month. And, it won’t be a one-off. He will need constant workload management, considering he is a fast bowler in all three formats.
Jasprit Bumrah captained India in three Test matches, including the unfinished 5th Test against England and two matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. However, with workload taking priority for him to prolong his career, especially in Tests, he has ruled himself out of the captaincy race.
Was Bumrah a better captaincy choice?
Even though Bumrah won’t take up Test captaincy, he will continue to lead the Indian bowling unit. An astute leader and the best bowler in the world across all formats, Bumrah will remain within the leadership group.
With Rohit Sharma stepping down, Bumrah seemed to be a natural successor. But his injuries and workload management prevented him. Hardik Pandya also suffered the same fate as selectors did not want to back a captain who would need rest and workload management. Unlike Hardi, in Tests abroad, Bumrah remains critical to India’s success.
Bumrah’s captaincy records
| Format | Mat | Win | Loss | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 3 | 1 | 2 | 33.33 |
| T20I | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Overall | 5 | 3 | 2 | 60.00 |
Shubman Gill favourite
With Bumrah out of the race, two candidates are now clear favourites: Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. However, considering Shubman’s captaincy records and importance, he is in the lead.
Since his return from the break due to a near-fatal car crash, Rishabh Pant hasn’t had the same impact he once had. He has struggled in IPL 2025 with the bat, as well as in captaincy. On the other hand, Gill has been praised for his calm head and decision-making abilities, a complete contrast to Pant. That would give Gill the edge over Pant.
Shubman Gill captaincy records
| Format | Mat | Win | Loss | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ODI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 5 | 4 | 1 | 80.00 |
| IPL | 23 | 13 | 10 | 56.52 |
| FC | 5 | 1 | 2 | 40 |
| List A | 6 | 5 | 1 | 83.33 |
| T20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 50 |
| Overall | 41 | 24 | 15 | 60.98 |
Rishabh Pant Captaincy Records
| Format | Mat | Win | Loss | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ODI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 5 | 2 | 2 | 50.00 |
| IPL | 54 | 28 | 25 | 52.77 |
| FC | 5 | 2 | 1 | 60.00 |
| List A | 8 | 5 | 3 | 62.50 |
| Overall | 72 | 37 | 31 | 52.78 |
The post Jasprit Bumrah sacrifices captaincy ambitions for India’s good, won’t lead in India vs England Tests appeared first on Inside Sport India.