Don’t Hand Over Captaincy to Bumrah: Ravi Shastri Makes Explosive Remarks

Amid ongoing debates about the next captain of India’s Test cricket team following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the format, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has expressed a clear stance. Emphasizing a long-term vision, Ravi Shastri suggested that young players such as Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant would be more suitable candidates for the role. However, he strongly cautioned against assigning the captaincy to star pacer Jasprit Bumrah.

Speaking on The ICC Review alongside anchor Sanjana Ganesan (who is Jasprit Bumrah’s spouse), Ravi Shastri highlighted several key points. “Frankly, after the Australia tour, Bumrah would have been my first choice for captaincy. But I don’t want to appoint him as captain and then lose his services as a bowler,” said Ravi Shastri. He recalled that Bumrah had been sidelined for several months due to a back injury, which also ruled him out of the critical ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament.

“Bumrah needs to take extreme care of his body. He is only now recovering from a serious injury. He bowled four-over spells in the IPL, but the real test will be his ability to bowl 10 to 15 overs in Test cricket. In such circumstances, it is not advisable to put the burden of captaincy on him,” Ravi Shastri analyzed.

Instead, Ravi Shastri strongly recommended giving the opportunity to young cricketers like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. “Someone should be groomed for the future. In my view, Shubman is much better suited. Give him a chance. He is around 25 or 26 years old now, and he should be given sufficient time,” he stated. “Rishabh Pant is also an option. Considering their age and the long careers ahead of them, I believe both are appropriate candidates. Let them learn,” Ravi Shastri explained.

With senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away from Tests, Shastri emphasized the need to focus on the future of the team. He maintained that either Gill or Pant would be appropriate successors. He also pointed out that both have leadership experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which adds to their strength. “From what I’ve seen, Shubman is very interesting. He has qualities like consistency and calmness,” he said, praising Gill, who is currently ranked at the top of the ICC ODI rankings.

Ravi Shastri dismissed criticisms that Shubman Gill does not perform well on foreign pitches. “There are always some who say he doesn’t score runs abroad. Sometimes, I feel like telling them to check their own records. Let him play overseas; he will definitely score runs. He is a class player,” he said in Gill’s defense.

He also reminded that Gill has already served as vice-captain in ODIs for India and captained the T20 series against Zimbabwe. India won that series 4-1, with Gill scoring 170 runs across five innings at a strike rate of 125.92. “He has a decade of cricket ahead of him for the country. I believe he will prove his mettle in one of the upcoming tours and make up for any past shortcomings,” Ravi Shastri expressed with confidence.