While recognizing that Shubman Gill is becoming the most popular contender, retired Indian off-spinner R Ashwin has named Jasprit Bumrah as his preferred pick to captain India in Test cricket.  

Additionally, he mentioned Ravindra Jadeja as a possible short-term captaincy candidate because of his seniority and to relieve Shubman Gill of some initial pressure. Ashwin highlighted the leadership vacuum on the Indian side and called for a more structured and transparent captaincy selection process.

Ashwin wanted Jasprit Bumrah to become the India Test captain, calling him a “national treasure,” but admitted that the fast bowler’s injury history makes his long-term availability uncertain.

“If one person says something, it’s an opinion. If five say it, it becomes a strong opinion. But if fifty say the same thing, people start believing it’s the truth. That’s my issue. Bumrah has had one major surgery. I’ll be very surprised if he plays all five Tests in a series. He needs to be given breaks to recover. Still, I’ll be very disappointed if he never gets to captain,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

As a temporary solution, Ashwin also suggested Ravindra Jadeja, who could serve as leader for a few years while preparing a younger replacement like Gill. He said, “Let’s not forget, Jadeja is the most experienced player in the team. He should be in the conversation.”

"The most experienced person in the team is Ravindra Jadeja. If you're willing to train a new guy for two years and then make him captain, Jadeja can do that for two years too. They (India) can even play him as vice-captain (under Jadeja). It will seem like I'm throwing in a wildcard,” he added.

Ashwin also mentioned Jadeja's time as captain of CSK, despite the fact that he did not hold the position for very long. Clarifying that he isn't lobbying for Jadeja to be chosen as skipper, Ashwin stated that there's no harm in considering the 36-year-old veteran for the post.

Ashwin argued that players like Rishabh Pant, Gill, Bumrah, and Jadeja should not be judged on leadership potential without understanding their vision.

“Captain, coach, and selector can make or break careers. It’s happened before and will happen again. That’s why I believe there should be an interview process. Leadership is about character. No captain, coach, or selector truly knows a player’s character unless they’ve spoken to him,” he said.

Regarding Shubman Gill, Ashwin admitted that the public seemed to view him as the front-runner and compared him to Graeme Smith, who captained South Africa when he was a young man.

“I hope Gujarat Titans qualify for the IPL playoffs. If Gill gains honour there, it might make his leadership transition easier. But captaincy, especially in Tests, is not about one good season. A leader should know what’s happening in first-class cricket too,” he said.

(ANI inputs)