The captaincy role in the Indian Test team remains vacant after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from the traditional format earlier this month.

The BCCI selectors will have to appoint a new leader ahead of the Test series against England, slated to get underway on June 20 at Headingley.

Jasprit Bumrah was Rohit’s deputy in the last Test series against Australia, and he also captained the side in two matches, but multiple reports claim that Shubman Gill is the front-runner to become India’s new Test captain.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, former cricketers Sanjay Bangar weighed in on the debate surrounding India’s Test captaincy.

Speculations are rife that ace pacer Bumrah is unlikely to be given the demanding job due to workload management concerns.

Bangar too doesn’t want Bumrah to be burdened with captaincy as he cited the example of Hardik Pandya to justify his stance.

“The yardstick which was taken for Hardik Pandya when Suryakumar was named T20I captain – the reasoning there was that Hardik has fitness issues, he may not be available. Hence, we are looking at a player who is guaranteed a place in the playing XI. That’s how Surya was elevated to the T20I captaincy," Bangar said on ESPNcricinfo.

“Now, if we equate that thought process with Test captaincy as well, on that basis, Jasprit may have to miss out," he added.

Sanjay Bangar backed KL Rahul to lead the Indian team in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

“He’s (Rahul) been a proven test batter, (scored) a lot of important runs at the top of the order for India. So, he would play all the Test matches (in England), and most of his hundreds or big scores have come in overseas matches," Bangar said.

“So there is no question mark on his ability in any conditions, for that matter. And he is young, he is not that old either. So when you are looking at a WTC cycle, it is a two-year cycle. I think Rahul at the moment is 31, 32. He can clearly play the entire cycle," he remarked.