'Rohit captained India in 3 of 5 Tests, Kohli opted out in past': Jasprit Bumrah's snub for captaincy baffles Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar reckons Jasprit Bumrah was the ideal candidate to be named captain as he is the only “genuinely great player” in the current India squad.
Shubman Gill is the next Test captain. The 25-year-old will lead India in the upcoming five-match series against England, beginning June 20. Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, announced an 18-member squad on Saturday. However, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar is not pleased as he reckons Jasprit Bumrah should have been made the next Test captain.
Bumrah led in Rohit Sharma's absence in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and under his captaincy, India even won the series opener in Perth. However, the pacer went down with a back spasm in Sydney, and ever since then, there has been chatter about wrapping Bumrah in cotton wool.
Even Ajit Agarkar confirmed at the press conference that Bumrah would not play all five Tests against England as the physios and management will manage his workload.
However, Manjrekar reckons Bumrah was the ideal candidate to be named the captain as he is the only “genuinely great player” in the current India squad.
“What I found strange about the selection was the captain's choice. I just failed to understand why Bumrah was not even considered. The reason for that was his likelihood of not playing the entire series. We've had Rohit Sharma, who recently captained India and played only three of the five test matches. We had Virat Kohli in the past opting out of test matches and not playing the full series. But still, the captain,” Manjrekar told ESPNcricinfo.
“Bumrah's injury is an issue. You've got to realise he's the only senior and, at this stage, a genuinely great player in this test team. So, worst case scenario, if you had Bumrah for two test matches, you want to start off with Bumrah as your captain. I mean, I just can't understand why you wouldn't think like that,” he added.
‘Too much burden on Shubman Gill’
Shubman Gill, who is often scrutinised for his performances in overseas Tests, now has a big challenge ahead of him. It remains to be seen who he manages to rally the troops around in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Rishabh Pant will serve as Gill's deputy. Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Abhimanyu Easwaran have also been called up to the squad for the England tour.
“Now you have to go to Shubman Gill, who still has to find his feet in English and Australian conditions. That's just too much burden. I mean, it was a no-brainer for me that Bumrah is your captain,” said Manjrekar.
“And then while he's captaining and if he doesn't play the third test match, then your captain-in-waiting, who's the vice-captain, whoever that is, is slowly sort of introduced into the team. So I think it's just too much thinking and not doing the obvious,” he added.
The series between India and England will be played across Leeds, Edgbaston, Lord's Cricket Ground, Manchester and Oval. Gill might have impressed one and all with his leadership for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025 season, but Test cricket is a different kettle of fish. The real challenge awaits Gill and the Indian team, which is all set to begin with the transition phase.
