Jasprit Bumrah drops out of India's Test captaincy race, Gill leads the charge

Speculations have been rife about the board's choice for India's next captain ever since Rohit Sharma hung his boots. The former skipper announced his retirement on May 7, shortly after reports emerged about the BCCI planning to appoint a new captain. Seemingly taking the hint, the opening batsman bid adieu ahead of the next WTC cycle. Now, the race to grab India's Test captaincy is said to be among the likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowler has some leadership experience under his cap, the Border Gavaskar Trophy being one of the most recent instances. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is being eyed as a long-term prospect, as the 25-year-old is poised as the front-runner for the post.

Jasprit Bumrah opts out of the race to claim India's Test captaincy, Shubman Gill poised as the frontrunner

In the latest update, Jasprit Bumrah is said to have opted out of the contest. The seamer has dropped out of the race for being India’s next Test captain. The new update fortifies the reports that indicate the backing provided to Shubman Gill in the contest. The 25-year-old batter leads the charge ahead of both Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant to succeed Rohit Sharma as India’s next Test captain. How the BCCI plans to land Gill in the role seems a bit hazy. The youngster is yet to find firm footing in overseas conditions. The No. 3 for India, Gill averages a little over just 27.00 in away conditions.

Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, faces the challenges of managing his workload in the longer format. With his unique action, which is extra strenuous on his body, Bumrah has faced multiple injuries over his career. The speedster bowled extended spells in the last Border Gavaskar Trophy. By the time the Sydney Test arrived, Bumrah endured a back stress injury. The injury was serious enough to rule out the pacer from the entirety of the ICC Champions Trophy. Interestingly, the only win that Team India managed to claim in the 5-match BGT Down Under came under Bumrah at the Perth Test, the campaign opener.

Now, India is ready to kick off the new WTC cycle in June with the India Tour of England. The series features 5 Tests. With 5 matches being a heavy and demanding task, Bumrah seems to have pulled out of the Test captaincy contention because of the ask. With the exit of Rohit Sharma, the BCCI would be looking for a long-term prospect to lead the team. As seen in the white-ball format, where India overlooked Hardik Pandya to give Suryakumar Yadav the T20I captaincy, the Tests could follow the same rule. The limited presence of Bumrah due to his workload management seems to have blown away his chances for the permanent captaincy role.

Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant is in line to get the vice-captaincy of the team under Shubman Gill. While the focus rests on resuming IPL 2025 after the India-Pakistan conflict inflicted a suspension on the league, the board is likely to announce India’s next Test captain within this week. Moreover, the BCCI is also awaiting confirmation from Virat Kohli, who reportedly communicated his wish to retire from the format ahead of the India Tour of England.