CHENNAI: It has been a topic of debate since Jasprit Bumrah walked off the field in the fifth Test between India and Australia earlier this year. Back then, there were question marks over whether Rohit Sharma will continue, and if he doesn't, who will be considered as the next in line for Test captaincy. One aspect of it is now settled.
Rohit is no longer an international Test cricketer. The Indian captain has called it a day and now, the ball is in the court of the senior men's selection committee headed by Ajit Agarkar to name a new captain and vice-captain for the five-Test series beginning on June 20. Among the names floated, India's No 3 Shubman Gill seems to be the front-runner. The 25-year-old has been groomed as a future captain by the BCCI and selectors for at least a year now. He was named the T20I skipper for the tour of Zimbabwe shortly after the T20 World Cup last year. Earlier in February, he was named Rohit's deputy in the 50-over format as he is groomed to take over from the former in the future. So, there is little doubt that he will be captaining India in all formats down the line.
Which is why, his name is being floated as a front-runner to take charge, especially with the concerns over Bumrah's workload and injury worries over the course of five Tests. Former chief selector MSK Prasad feels if the BCCI is looking at a long-term option, Gill could be the one, but if they are looking at the upcoming World Test Championship cycle, Bumrah and KL Rahul could be alternate options. "If you are looking at a long-term solution, Shubman Gill is definitely a long-term solution. Or, if you are looking at this cycle, Bumrah also could turn out to be a solution. The three people who must be in the race, according to me, are Bumrah, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul," Prasad told this daily.
While there is no doubt about Gill's credentials in ODIs, he is still finding his feet in Test cricket and is not a regular in the T20I side. His numbers in red-ball cricket, especially away from home, are not glittering. From 42.03 at home, Gill's average drops to 29.5 away as the youngster has had trouble with lateral movement. Which makes one wonder whether captaincy will add additional pressure on the youngster especially in a long series such as England. “There is a long way to go for Gill. It is a no-brainer that he is a player who will be playing all three formats going forward. So, definitely, you can ease him in as and when required. In the next 1-1.5 years, slowly, he will be the guy who will be leading across all three formats. So, give him that opportunity to be groomed nicely rather than hurrying him up.”
Prasad believes Gill could be named vice-captain with Bumrah being his first-choice candidate for captaincy. "I would say that if you see past the injuries, I think right now Bumrah is the right choice. You have seen how he has led the sides whenever he got an opportunity. He is the number one bowler in the world today. He is also one sort of a character who can gel with any generation. At least Bumrah is one guy whom we can look at in the next two-year cycle," he said, before adding, "I am 100 per cent sure that he knows his limitations. At times, what happens is, someone who is the number one bowler in the world, leading from the front, I think it brings a lot of positive energy to the side. If you can make Bumrah as captain and make Gill as his deputy, as and when required, in case of any other series where Bumrah is rested, then Gill can be slowly groomed into that particular role."
Meanwhile, Prasad also felt that if the selectors do not want to risk Bumrah’s fitness, Rahul could be the other option. He has captained India in the past, and has come to his own at the top of the order during the Australia tour. “He is cool, he is calm and he also thrives well under pressure situations. He is in a good mental space right now. He is a personality who can easily adjust and adapt to any other guy. The people can revolve around him nicely because he is that sort of a personality,” said Prasad. “I would say that both Bumrah and KL Rahul are very, very successful players in English conditions. Remember, KL got a couple of hundreds in England. So, either of them, I am okay to start off with.”
Who will get the final nod, we will know in the coming weeks.