Gill has a poor record in overseas conditions, while Pant has endured a challenging IPL season as LSG captain.
With less than a month to go for the England Test series, the BCCI is staring at a crucial decision to make. Following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s retirement from Tests, the BCCI are in the hunt for an ideal India Test captain. While Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul are the senior players, the board is mostly looking for a youthful captain. As per the latest reports from Sky Sports, the Indian selectors had an informal chat with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant.
Bumrah has ruled himself out of the Test captaincy race, citing concerns over workload management. He led India in two of the five matches during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Although India secured victory in the opening Test under his leadership, Bumrah was forced to leave the field mid-match due to a recurrence of his back injury. The setback later sidelined him from the Champions Trophy (CT) 2025 and the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant have emerged as the frontrunners for India’s Test captaincy. While both have been informally sounded out, the selection committee remains divided over the final decision.
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According to a BCCI selector, there are concerns about handing the captaincy to Gill. It is primarily because his position in the playing XI isn’t fully secure. The selector suggested that a vice-captaincy role might be more appropriate for him at this stage. This comes after a quick look at the 25-year-old’s statistics. His average of 42.03 with four hundreds in Home Tests drops to 29.50 and just one century on foreign soil. However, he’s been a strong leader for the Gujarat Titans, having already qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs.
Another report suggests that Pant has been under the radar since his poor performance in the ongoing IPL as the skipper of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). The team has managed to win only five out of 12 games. Moreover, the 27-year-old has had an awful run with the willow. In 12 innings, Pant has scored in double-digits just four times. His top scores have been 63, 21, 18, and 15.
While both young players deserve a chance to prove themselves on the big stage, the Indian think tank has another idea. They suggest an out-of-the-box option in KL Rahul. The 33-year-old has had his share of issues with consistency. But when we look at his Test records, it’s slightly more impressive than the potential leaders. Rahul has an average of 39.62 in India, which drops to 31 in overseas tours. He has made seven centuries in away games compared to just one in India. Additionally, his recent performances in the ongoing IPL and the CT 2025 have showcased a revitalised version of “Rahul 2.0”. This could strengthen his case for leadership.
All in all, we will have to wait a little longer for the BCCI to make a sound call. The India Test captain announcement may happen during this week.
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