Gavaskar Backs Bumrah for Test Captaincy, Dismisses Workload Worries

Sunil Gavaskar believes that Jasprit Bumrah is the ideal candidate to succeed Rohit Sharma as captain in test cricket. He dismissed the concerns around Bumrah’s workload, saying that he can manage his responsibilities well.

On top of all the IPL tribulations, the BCCI has another matter to attend to. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring from test cricket, the spot for captanicy remains vacant. Ahead of India’s five-match test series against England, the board is yet to announce the new test captain.

Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has backed Jasprit Bumrah to take over as next captain of Indian Test team. He also put away the concerns regarding Bumrah’s workload.

Gavaskar Snubs Shubman, Backs Bumrah

According to reports, Shubman Gill emerged as the primary candidate to take over the test captaincy after Rohit Sharma. However, Sunil Gavaskar wants pacer Jasprit Bumrah to be test captain.

“Who better to know what is the workload for himself than himself? If you appoint somebody else, they would always want an extra over from Bumrah. If he is your No. 1 bowler, he will himself know that ‘yes, this is the time I must take a break’. To me, it has to be Jasprit Bumrah only. I know all these kind of speculation going around his workload and all that. Give it to him so that he knows how many overs to bowl, when to take him off, when to sort of rest. That would be the best thing,” Gavaskar said on Sports Today.

“He (Bumrah) may not have to miss a Test match. If you give it to him, he might know when to stop before his body starts to crumble. For me, give it to him. After the first Test, there is an eight-day gap. There’s enough time to recover. Then, there are two back-to-back Test matches. That’s fine. There’s then another gap. If you give him the captaincy, he will be the best person to know when to bowl,” he added.

Candidates for Test Captaincy

Bumrah had earlier captained India during the 2022 Birmingham Test against England and again during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25. India secured a 295-run win over Australia under Bumrah’s leadership, which was India’s biggest win by runs in Asutralia.

However, reports suggest that Burmah put himself out of contention, stating the challenge of committing to all five tests due to workload management. The selectors are now considering Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as the prime candidates for test captaincy.

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