Jasprit Bumrah is the front-runner to replace Rohit Sharma as the India Test captain and will reportedly begin his journey with the five-Test tour of England in June-July 2025. However, there are fitness concerns with the ace pacer and hence the BCCI selection committee has two more players as backups as well.
Currently, Bumrah is dealing with a reoccurrence of his back injury that flared up during the fifth Test versus Australia in Sydney. He bowled just 10 overs in the SCG Test and left the field for scans. He didn’t bowl in the second innings and only came out to bat.
Indian selectors are confident that he will still play a role in the Champions Trophy because of the swelling, but when looking at the big picture, the issue comes if he can be considered a permanent skipper in Tests, now that Rohit's days in whites appear to be over.
If Bumrah is fit and ready to lead the Test team in England, head selector Ajit Agarkar and his four colleagues must have a solid name as vice-captain so that in the event of an unanticipated circumstance, the deputy is capable of taking leadership.
For the time being, just two names are being considered for Tests: Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, with the former appearing to be the best fit for the post.
Bumrah's lower back troubles were discussed during the BCCI's review meeting on Saturday with Agarkar, head coach Gautam Gambhir, and Rohit.
Following the review meeting, it is highly doubtful that Rohit would travel to England for the five Tests, with the 31-year-old Bumrah leading the team in the first Test at Headingley assuming all goes well.
The pacer, who has 443 international scalps across formats in only 203 games, led India at Perth and Sydney in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy and was named 'Player of the Series' after taking 32 wickets, the most by an Indian on foreign territory.
However, a back spasm in the final Test proved to be his undoing, as he was unable to bowl in the second innings, and he is now scheduled to undertake rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru with the goal of competing in the Champions Trophy.
The issue has sparked concerns about Bumrah's ability to remain fit for extended periods of time considering his workload as the pace spearhead in Tests, as well as his participation in ICC white-ball competitions.
There is no guarantee that Bumrah will not experience further breakdowns during the following WTC cycle, which runs from June 2025 to June 2027, now that he is in his late 30s.
As a result, the selectors may be inclined to have a backup plan in place, such as grooming another equally good captaincy prospect to serve as vice-captain.
"For me, it is a very simple thing. You look at the data and find who is a sure-shot pick in Test cricket. Bumrah has played 45 Tests and Pant has 43 Tests. He (Pant) is 27 now and by the time he was only 23, he had singlehandedly won India one of its greatest Tests at the Gabba. He is a match-winner, a good sounding board for bowlers, and should be the vice-captain," former national selector Devang Gandhi said as per PTI.
Former India wicketkeeper, Deep Dasgupta, concurred that Bumrah's bowling workloads make him unsuitable as a long-term Test skipper.
“It is not just the marquee series (England, Australia) that we are talking about. In between Test matches, there will be ICC events where Bumrah's presence is a must. Like this year, it is the Champions Trophy and next year it will be the T20 World Cup. He is managing it well by not playing bilaterals but nearer to events, he would need to. Then the bowling workload becomes paramount. Don't forget two months of IPL. So even as Bumrah starts as the next Test captain, there is a need for a strong vice-captain, and yes Pant fits the bill," Dasgupta said.
Both thought that Jaiswal should not be burdened with vice-captaincy because he will spearhead India's batting challenge in the coming days and the establishment will need some time to consider him for a leadership role.
(PTI inputs)
