Jasprit Bumrah Opts Out Of India Test Captaincy Race: Report
Bumrah was India's vice-captain in the last two Test series. In Rohit's absence he also led the side in the first and fifth Tests of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who led the Indian men's cricket team in the first as well as the fifth Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has opted out of India's Test captaincy race. After Rohit Sharma's retirement on May 7 via an Instagram post, India are in search of a new Test captain.
Bumrah was Rohit's deputy in the last two Test series played against New Zealand at home and Australia away, but according to a report in Sky Sports News, 'Jasprit Bumrah has opted out of being India's next Test captain, with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant now the front runners."
Jasprit Bumrah has opted out of being India's next Test captain, with Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant now the front runners, Sky Sports News understands 🚨 pic.twitter.com/R4xG7FIigT — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) May 11, 2025
It has been reported by various India media outlets as well in recent days that Gill will succeed Rohit as captain in the traditional format of the game, and wicketkeeper-batter Pant will be his deputy. Both Gill and Pant have never captained the Indian Test team in the past, but they have led India's T20I team in one five-match series each. While Pant made his India captaincy debut in June 2022 against South Africa at home, Gill led the Men in Blue in a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe last year in July.
Gill was India's vice-captain in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which the Rohit-led side won by getting the better of New Zealand in the final played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on March 9.
Bumrah, who has expressed his desire to become Indian captain on multiple occasions in the past, made his Test captaincy debut on July 1, 2022, against England during the rescheduled Test played at Edgbaston in Birmingham. In that match he hammered 35 runs in one over bowled by Stuart Broad to create the new world record but failed to help the Indian team avoid defeat.
Overall, Bumrah has captained India in three Tests and won one of them (in Perth vs Australia in November 2024), whereas on two occasions (England in 2022, Australia in 2025), India suffered a defeat.
The 31-year-old cricketer from Ahmedabad, who won the ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year awards in 2024, has also led the Indian team in two T20Is (vs Ireland in August 2023) and served as Rohit's deputy in the second half of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
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May 11, 2025, 16:33 IST
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