In a significant week for Indian cricket, veteran skipper Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket, marking the end of an era and leaving the team in the hands of a younger generation. While Shubman Gill has emerged as the frontrunner for Test captaincy, former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has thrown his support behind pacer Jasprit Bumrah as the ideal candidate to lead the side.
Ashwin, one of India’s finest spinners, announced his retirement during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Following his exit, his long-time teammates Rohit and Kohli also bid farewell to the longest format this week. Reflecting on the team’s transition, Ashwin expressed his preference for Bumrah to take over the leadership role, citing his experience and composure.
Jasprit Bumrah, who served as vice-captain under Rohit Sharma during the recent Border-Gavaskar series and has previously led India in three Test matches, is now among the senior-most players in the squad. On the latest episode of his YouTube show Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin commented on the new phase for Indian cricket, stating:
“It is the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era. India will take on England in a five-Test series with a new-look squad. Jasprit Bumrah is now the senior-most player in the team.”
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepping down, the responsibility of guiding the team now falls on the shoulders of players like Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. Ashwin emphasized that Bumrah deserves to be considered for the captaincy.
“He is certainly a contender for the captaincy. I feel he deserves it, but the selectors will decide based on his fitness levels,” Ashwin said.
He also revealed how the news of the retirements came as a surprise:
“We were watching the KKR-CSK match when Rohit announced his retirement, and then Virat followed. I had been hearing rumors about Virat’s retirement for the past couple of days, but I’m sure the BCCI must have had a personal conversation with him.”
The Indian selectors are currently in discussions, and the squad for the upcoming England tour and the new Test captain are expected to be announced by the end of the week.
