Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday, which took many by surprise. He was the captain of the Indian Test team during their last series. His departure leaves a big gap that needs to be filled not just in batting but also in leadership. India is set to kick off its World Test Championship campaign with a five-match series against England starting June 20. The selection committee hasn’t named a new captain yet, but former player Anil Kumble thinks Jasprit Bumrah could be a good choice for this series.
Kumble mentioned on ESPNcricinfo, “Maybe just for this series, go with Bumrah and see how fit he is.” He knows it’s tough for fast bowlers, especially since Bumrah has had injuries and has been out since the Australia series. Kumble is aware that Bumrah might not be able to play all five Tests, as the last attempt to include him in all matches during the Australia tour ended with him getting injured. So, managing Bumrah’s workload well is really important. “When that happens, the vice-captain steps in,” Kumble said.
Candidates for the captaincy include Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant. Bumrah has captained the team in a few Tests, but right now, Rahul and Gill seem to be leading contenders due to Bumrah’s ongoing fitness issues. Still, he shouldn’t be completely counted out.
Rohit has had a fantastic career, leading India to four ICC tournament finals and winning two. He is also a legend in ODIs, with over 11,000 runs and 32 centuries. In Tests, he’s racked up 4,301 runs in 67 matches, with 12 hundreds and 18 fifties at an average of 40.57. According to a source, Rohit had made the decision to retire after India’s Champions Trophy win in March. Although those close to him knew, officials didn’t clear up his situation publicly, allowing speculation to continue. The selection committee also didn’t give him any information about his potential spot in the squad for the England series, and Rohit made it clear that he wanted to decide on his career himself.
