Could Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant Lead India's Test Team in the Future?

New Delhi, May 16 (NationPress) Former head coach of the Indian cricket team, Ravi Shastri, has identified Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as promising candidates for the captaincy of the Test team in the near future. He points to their youth and the potential for long careers as strong reasons for this belief.

Shastri emphasized that he would prefer not to burden fast-bowling ace Jasprit Bumrah with leadership responsibilities, given his critical role in the Indian bowling lineup. India is set to embark on a five-match tour of England, commencing June 20 at Headingley, with a new captain following Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket earlier this month.

“You nurture someone, and I think Shubman has shown considerable promise. Give him a chance. At just 25 or 26, he has time to grow. Rishabh is also a contender. These two are the most obvious choices due to their age and the decade of cricket ahead of them. Allow them to develop,” Shastri remarked on The ICC Review show.

Both Pant and Gill are currently leading their respective franchises in IPL 2025: Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans. Pant previously captained India in a T20I series against South Africa in 2022, which concluded in a 2-2 tie, while Gill, ranked as the top ODI batter, led the Indian team during a successful tour of Zimbabwe last year, winning 4-1 in a five-match series in the shortest format.

“Their leadership experience with their franchises will certainly play a role. From what I've seen, Shubman appears very intriguing—he's composed and displays all the essential qualities,” Shastri added.

He also dismissed concerns regarding Gill’s overseas Test performance. “Critics often point out his struggles to score runs abroad. I remind them to check their own records. The focus should be on allowing him to play more overseas matches; he's a class player with a decade of cricket ahead for India. I'm confident he will excel on upcoming tours,” he stated.

Bumrah has previously captained India in three Tests, notably leading the team to victory in the Perth Test during last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. However, he suffered a back injury during the final Test of that tour, which limited his abilities.

This injury also caused Bumrah to miss the victorious Champions Trophy campaign in 2025. Although he has returned for IPL 2025, his fitness remains a concern for the five-Test series in England.

“For me, Jasprit was the natural choice post-Australia. However, I prefer he focus on his bowling rather than taking on captaincy responsibilities. He must approach his recovery one match at a time. He’s returning after a serious injury,” Shastri explained.

“While he will have played IPL matches, which are shorter, the real test comes with bowling longer spells. The last thing you want is to add captaincy pressure on his mind,” Shastri concluded.