With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli recently stepping away from Test cricket, India is on the lookout for a new red-ball captain—and former head coach Ravi Shastri has weighed in with his thoughts on who should take up the mantle. Speaking on The ICC Review with Sanjana Ganesan, Shastri ruled out Jasprit Bumrah as a potential captain, instead backing young stars Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant for the role.
Shastri explained that while Bumrah might seem like an obvious choice, especially after his standout performances in Australia, the risks involved with his fitness make him a less-than-ideal candidate. “I do not want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler,” Shastri said. “He’s just returning from a serious back injury. He’s bowled in the IPL, sure—but that’s four-over cricket. Now he’ll have to bowl 10, 15 overs a day in Tests. The last thing you want is to pile the added pressure of captaincy on him.”
Instead, Shastri is looking toward the future and sees Gill and Pant as long-term leadership prospects. “You groom someone. Shubman has looked really promising. He’s just 25, give him time to grow into the role. Rishabh is another strong candidate. Both of them have a decade ahead of them in international cricket,” he said.
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Both Gill and Pant already have leadership experience under their belts—Gill currently captains the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, while Pant leads the Lucknow Super Giants. Shastri believes those experiences make a real difference.
“The little I’ve seen of Shubman as a leader is very encouraging—he’s calm, composed, and ticks all the right boxes,” he noted. Shastri also dismissed criticism of Gill’s performances in overseas conditions. “People say he hasn’t scored runs abroad, but I’d ask them to check their own records overseas. Let the guy play and get into his rhythm. He’s a class player, and the runs will come.”
In Shastri’s eyes, India’s next Test captain should be someone who can grow into the role and lead the team for years to come—without jeopardizing key players like Bumrah in the process.
