Daijiworld Media Network - Dubai

Dubai, May 17: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has identified Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as the best candidates to take over India’s Test captaincy following Rohit Sharma’s recent retirement from the format. Shastri pointed to their leadership experience in the IPL and their young age as key reasons for their suitability.

While acknowledging Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership qualities in Test cricket, Shastri expressed concerns about burdening the fast bowler with captaincy due to his ongoing injury issues. “Bumrah would have been the natural choice after the Australia tour, but given his injury history, it would be risky to assign him the captaincy and potentially lose him as a bowler,” Shastri said.

Bumrah, 31, returned to competitive cricket this IPL season, taking 13 wickets in eight matches. However, Shastri highlighted the physical and mental toll of Test cricket captaincy, which demands extended spells of bowling, far more intense than the limited overs in the IPL.

Shastri emphasized that age and long-term fitness must be central to the decision, favoring Gill, 25, and Pant, 27, who have both already demonstrated leadership skills as IPL captains—Gill with Gujarat Titans and Pant with Lucknow Super Giants. Their youth and temperament, Shastri believes, provide them ample time to grow into the role and lead Indian cricket forward.

He praised Gill’s calmness and maturity, noting the young batsman’s top-ranking in ICC ODI charts as evidence of his readiness to lead at the highest level.

With India’s five-Test series against England starting June 20, the captaincy vacancy presents an opportunity to nurture fresh leadership talent. Shastri’s endorsement of Gill and Pant signals a strategic focus on building a future-proof leadership core for Indian cricket.