How India's next Test captain selection may ruin the longest format

BCCI is all set to announce the next captain of India in the longest format of the game and promising batter Shubman Gill has emerged as the frontrunner. Though the selection committee wants to build a future captain for India before the start of the New World Test Championship, many experts and former greats are of the opinion that Gill is not mature enough for the captaincy role.

Waning interest in Tests

India's upcoming England tour will be a tough one. As experienced players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin already announcing their test retirements, many experts are predicting that under Gill's immature leadership, India's performance could be disastrous in tough English conditions.

With the emergence of T20 cricket, fans remain interested in the longest format of the game only because of superstars like Kohli and Rohit. Following their retirement, the miserable overseas performance of the Indian team may distract the fans further away from the format.

Gill vs Bumrah 

While premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah could be the best suited to replace Rohit, concerns over his fitness have been aplenty, with pacer and his former coach Shane Bond even warning that he shouldn’t be playing more than two Tests on the trot at any given point in time. Bond said another back injury could pump the brakes on Bumrah’s career.

Meanwhile, Gill could not be the alternative for Bumrah. Despite being given a long rope, Gill's performance in the longest format of the game is not that impressive. Many experts feel that when Gill's place in the playing XI is not even secure, how he could be selected as the skipper of the team.

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Under the circumstance, Rishabh Pant is another alternative for captaincy. However, his current poor form in IPL 2025 has become a major concern.

'Most powerful' game

As per sources, following the retirement of Virat Kohli, head coach Gautam Gambhir will enjoy rare power in BCCI circle. As per reports, certain unsavoury circumstances involving the head coach and the selection committee forced Kohli to announce his retirement from Tests and BCCI didn't intervene in the matter intentionally. 

If Gill becomes the captain, Gambhir will become the most powerful. When superstars like Virat and Rohit are not secure under Gambhir, what will be the fate of the junior players? They may increasingly feel insecure and it will definitely impact the performance of the Indian team.