Gautam Gambhir and the selectors will name a new captain when they name the India squad for the England series. Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement, and Shubman Gill is the favourite to be named the new captain. Jasprit Bumrah, the incumbent vice-captain, is also an option, but reports suggest Gill is the frontrunner before the India vs England series.
Gavaskar, Srikkanth back Bumrah to be captain for India vs England tests
Jasprit Bumrah was Rohit’s deputy and led the side admirably in their only win Down Under in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December-January. India’s spearhead has endeared himself to the nation with his performances and leadership on the field. However, Bumrah’s injury issues put him at risk of missing games at crucial junctures. The BCCI are closely monitoring his workload, meaning he is unlikely to get the armband.
However, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has put his weight behind Bumrah. Gavaskar believes as skipper, Bumrah can manage his workload better.
“To me, it has to be Jasprit Bumrah only. I know there’s speculation about his fitness and workload, but that’s exactly why he should be in charge. If you appoint somebody else, they would always want an extra over from Bumrah. If he is your No. 1 bowler, he will himself know, ‘yes, this is the time I must take a break’. He’ll know best when to bowl and when to rest,” Gavaskar told Sports Today.
The former Indian captain’s point, though valid, comes with a caveat. Despite being captain four 3 out of the 5 Tests in Australia, Bumrah was forced off in the 5th Test in Sydney. The 31-year-old had to undergo surgery, missing India’s victorious Champions Trophy campaign. Given India’s inexperienced pace attack, managing Bumrah’s workload is not going to be a simple task.
Even Gavaskar’s opening partner, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, backed Jasprit Bumrah for leadership. Srikkanth believes Bumrah is the ideal choice, with KL Rahul being a good choice for the role of deputy.
“The captaincy should be given to Jasprit Bumrah, and if he is not fit or available for any match, then KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant should lead India,” the former opener told Times of India.
Why Gill trumps Bumrah as a better choice?
Shubman Gill might not have the backing of two legends of the game, but the 25-year-old is still the leading candidate as far as selectors are concerned. Bumrah is 31 and, given his history with injuries, the BCCI wants to look towards a younger generation of leaders.
Gill, on the other hand, has recently established himself back in the Indian set-up. With Virat now retired, Gill is best placed to take up that mantle. In his short captaincy career, Gill has shown a good mix of authority, aggression and calmness. Despite the presence of international captains Jos Buttler and Rashid Khan, it is Gill who has led the Gujarat Titans to the top of the standings. His bowling includes Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, both of whom are likely to be in the India squad vs England.
India turned to Rohit Sharma as a stopgap measure when Virat retired, and the Hit-Man led in 24 Tests and missed a few due to injury. The BCCI do not want to take a similar approach now and appointing Gill would go a long way in fulfilling that objective. India had appointed Virat Kohli as Dhoni’s successor in 2013, when Kohli was 24. Gill is in a similar age bracket, and like Kohli, has shadowed Rohit Sharma in a vice-captain role. Kohli then led India’s revival in Tests and retired as India’s greatest Test captain.
It is a tough ask to choose the captain of any team, let alone a team like India. Jasprit Bumrah would be the fans’ favourite and has proved that leadership suits him. But the selectors have more responsibility and have to think from a long-term perspective. Gill, thus, makes the obvious choice.
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