Decoding the New Best Test Captain Candidates for Team India

Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill, the best candidates in our evaluation of the potential Team India new Captain for the Test team. 

Ever since Rohit Sharma called it quits from the longest format of the game, the biggest question that the selectors and the BCCI management are facing is on finding his successor in the Test format. Rohit had replaced Virat Kohli as the Captain of the team, and has been leading the team in all three formats for the last few years. While Rohit retired from T20Is after the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph, he called it quits in Test cricket after the Australia tour, but still remains the team’s ODI captain for now. 

Rohit Sharma, the Captain of the Test team took over the reins from Virat Kohli in 2022 when the latter surprisingly quit as the Captain of the Indian Test team. Ever since Rohit took over, he Captained India in 24 Test matches. While India won 12 Tests under Rohit’s Captaincy, they lost 9 Tests with 3 ending in a draw. Rohit’s major achievement was taking the Indian team to the WTC 2023 final, which unfortunately they lost to the Aussies. 

With Rohit Sharma gone, and Virat Kohli not on the list of potential Captaincy candidates, it is a big dilemma that the team management will be facing as they decide on the future new Captain of the India Test team. As we know, most of the Indian Test team players are either young, or on the verge of retirement. If they had someone in between, it wouldn’t have been an issue. So, the BCCI has only two options, and that’s either to select a short-term filler Captain, or a long-term candidate.  

Decoding the New Best Test Captain Candidates for Team India

#1: Jasprit Bumrah

Up until recently, Jasprit Bumrah had been quietly leading the team in Rohit Sharma’s absence. But the Test cricket demands are so huge that inevitably, Jasprit won’t be able to lead the team in all 5 matches in England. Being a fast bowler, it is practically impossible to ask an unorthodox pacer to bowl with the same intensity in all 5 matches. This was also visible in Australia, where Jasprit Bumrah suffered a major injury having asked to play all 5 Tests. Hence, Jasprit Bumrah may not be the solution for India if they are looking at long term. 

#2: Rishabh Pant

The next best candidate in line is Rishabh Pant. Pant is the best wicket-keeper in Test format currently, and there is not even a debate on this. Pant has scored runs in almost all parts of the world. Be it South Africa, India, Australia, or England, he has a century to his name. Pant has been playing with the team for almost 8 years now, so he understands the team’s DNA quite well. Rishabh Pant, who is just 27 right now has more than 10 years of cricket left in him, and that would be ideal for him to lead the team for a long time. Pant, himself plays bold and aggressive cricket, and to manage the future generation players well, he can be an ideal candidate. 

#3: Shubman Gill

Finally, the last player in line for the Test Team Captaincy is Shubman Gill. Gill aged 25 is the frontrunner to become the next Test Captain. Gill is highly rated as a player in the Indian team, but his Test stats are more of average. After having played over 20 Tests, he still averages close to 35 overall, and around 25 in SENA countries. While there is no question on his Captaincy for the time being as he has been hardly tested, there are still question marks on his performance as a Test player. 

There are obvious weaknesses in Shubman Gill’s batting. He has a weakness against moving ball, and his feet movement and batting stance is such that more often than not he has a high chance of getting bowled or LBW. This is evidently visible in his records in SENA countries. Having played 11 Test matches in SENA countries, Gill has scored 514 runs at an average of 25. These are poor stats for someone who plays in the top-order. So, the main question is whether India will take such a huge risk of naming a Captain whose place itself might be in question if he doesn’t improve his batting.  

Finally, other than these three, there are minimal chances of India going back to Virat Kohli, or opting for a filler candidate like KL Rahul. It will be a big call whatever decision BCCI takes. If India are looking for a long-term candidate with a good cricketing brain, and a guaranteed place in the Test team, Rishabh Pant is the ideal candidate. However, if the BCCI wants to bet on a player with the hope of him coming good as a batter, they might opt for Shubman Gill. 

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