Ravi Shastri has explained why he doesn’t want to see Jasprit Bumrah become the next India Test captain, despite calling the bowler an obvious choice. India is looking for a new Test captain after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the format recently. Bumrah was considered to be a front-runner by many, given his exploits in the role during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
Recent reports suggested that Bumrah had ruled himself out of the race, with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant being front-runners at the moment. Shastri, while talking to ICC, said that he doesn’t want Bumrah to take the role as he feels India would lose him as a bowler.
The former India coach also noted that Bumrah needs to take things one game at a time as he is coming back from a serious injury. Shastri also said that since Bumrah has been playing the IPL, he doesn’t want the extra pressure of being skipper on him when he makes the transition to Test cricket.
“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.”
“He’ll have played IPL cricket, which is four-over cricket. Now will come the test of bowling 10 overs, 15 overs. And the last thing you want is some pressure on his mind being captain as well,” said Shastri.
‘Groom somebody’
When asked who should be the next India Test skipper, Shastri said that the likes of Gill and Pant should be groomed for the role and given the time to succeed.
“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 stated.
“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 They’ve got experience as captains now, captaining their franchise and that makes a difference,” said Shastri.
A decision on the new India Test captain will be made when the squad for the England tour will be selected. The five-Test series against England will start from June 20.