The race for India’s new Test captain seems to be heating up as a number of contenders come into the picture including Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and now even Ravindra Jadeja. While the BCCI is yet to issue an official statement on the selection of captain for 5 match England series next month, former cricketers have more or less been united about the fact that Jasprit Bumrah should have the first right to captain the Indian team in whites.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin made a case for Bumrah, comparing his position to that of Australia skipper Pat Cummins. He said, “Look at Pat Cummins, he also had a back stress fracture, but he is now captaining Australia in Tests and ODIs. Of course, considering the injuries recently, Bumrah might think twice about accepting the role but his name should be number 1 in the ring. ”
Make Gill Jadeja or Bumrah’s intern:
Ashwin also noted that there are many other players in the frame for India Test captaincy, including KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill and even Ravindra Jadeja. The veteran off-spinner also stated that, if the BCCI wants to move towards younger leadership, they should appoint Gill as vice-captain under Bumrah or Jadeja, to gain experience.
“Let’s not forget, Jadeja is the most experienced player in the team. He should be in the conversation. If you’re willing to train a new guy for two years and then make him captain, Jadeja can do that for two years too. They (India) can even play him as vice-captain (under Jadeja). It will seem like I’m throwing in a wildcard,” Ashwin added.
Notably, India captaincy race opened up earlier this month after captain Rohit Sharma decided to retire from Test cricket which was soon followed up by Virat Kohli, leaving the India Test side in the hands of young players.
