It is a time of change for India’s Test set-up, but Jasprit Bumrah is expected to turn down the chance to become the new captain.
Jasprit Bumrah has reportedly opted out of being India’s next Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, amid speculation that Virat Kohli will also step away from the longest format.
Rohit, who had already bowed out of T20Is last year, confirmed his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday.
As such, Bumrah, who has served as the vice-captain since December 2023, was among the early favourites to take over from him, having captained India for the World Test Championship final against Australia in Rohit’s absence.
He has played in 45 Tests for India, taking 205 wickets in that time.
But according to reports, he is reluctant to commit to playing in all five Tests in a series due to the workload, with selectors wanting somebody who would feature consistently across them.
Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are now the frontrunners for the role, with selectors expected to meet next week to come to a decision.
It is expected that whoever is not selected as captain will serve as the vice-captain.
It could be an even bigger period of change for Italy as reports on Saturday claimed former skipper Kohli had told the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he wished to retire from Test cricket before India’s series against England in June.
Kohli stepped down as Test captain in 2022, having won 40 matches as skipper, making him India’s most successful captain in the format. (Sportsmax)
