India’s former head coach fears the team might lose the bowler in Bumrah if he’s burdened with extra responsibilities.
The debate over who should be India’s next Test captain is heating up, especially after Rohit Sharma recently retired from the longest format. Former players are weighing in with their opinions, and Ravi Shastri has also shared his thoughts—cautioning against putting leadership pressure on star pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
With Rohit stepping away from Test cricket just before the England tour, India now faces the challenge of naming a new captain. Several names are being discussed, and Bumrah is one of the top contenders. He has previously served as vice-captain under Rohit and has led India in three Tests, including one victory during the last tour of Australia.
However, India must tread carefully before handing over full-time captaincy duties to Bumrah. His recurring battles with injuries make it a risky proposition. For example, in the final Test of the last Border-Gavaskar series, Bumrah had to step in as captain after Rohit withdrew. But he too was injured mid-match, and Virat Kohli had to take over. Interestingly, just five days after Rohit’s retirement, Kohli also announced his exit from Test cricket.
Bumrah’s lower back injury kept him sidelined for a long spell, even ruling him out of the Champions Trophy—an event India went on to win without him.
In the current IPL season, Bumrah missed a few early matches for Mumbai Indians but returned on April 7 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Since his comeback, he has looked in excellent rhythm, picking up 13 wickets in 8 matches. Still, as Shastri rightly pointed out in an ICC Review discussion, IPL and Test cricket are vastly different formats.
In Shastri’s words:
“Look, after the last Australia tour, Bumrah would have been a clear choice for captaincy. But I don’t want Jasprit to be made captain and then we end up losing him as a bowler.”
“He’s just come back from a serious injury. He’s playing in the IPL, which is four-over cricket. Now he’ll have to bowl 10-15 overs in a day. In between, we want to give him the extra pressure of leadership?”
Shastri believes India should focus on grooming the next generation of leaders. In his view, players like Shubman Gill or Rishabh Pant should be given time and space to grow into the role.
“If you want to groom someone, I’d say Shubman looks good. Give him that opportunity. He’s 25 or 26, and he’ll need time.”
“Rishabh is also there. I’d like to see one of these two take the responsibility, because of their age and the time they have ahead. Give them a chance to learn.”
India will play five Test matches during the England tour, which begins on June 20.
