Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has thrown his full support behind the BCCI’s decision to hand Shubman Gill the Test captaincy over senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah. While several former cricketers and analysts have questioned the move to appoint a relatively inexperienced 25-year-old, Ponting believes it’s a straightforward call, primarily because Bumrah’s injury-prone body doesn’t guarantee consistent availability, something essential for any long-term captain.
Bumrah had served as vice-captain during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and even led India in two matches when Rohit Sharma was unavailable. However, the toll of back-to-back matches caught up with him, and a stress-related injury ruled him out for three months. That raised genuine concerns about his durability across a five-match Test series, especially overseas.
In contrast, Gill’s leadership during IPL 2025 with the Gujarat Titans impressed many. While GT couldn’t go all the way, the young opener displayed calm leadership and finished with an impressive tally of 650 runs at a strike rate exceeding 155.
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“I actually think it’s the right move,” Ricky Ponting said in an interview with The ICC Review. “There’s been a lot of noise around why Bumrah wasn’t chosen, but for me, it’s simple—Bumrah has had too many injury interruptions. You can’t afford a captain who might miss matches mid-series. Once India decided on Gill, it became important to back him and give him a solid run in the role.”
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Ponting also highlighted Gill’s natural leadership traits and his ability to lead from the front. “He handled the Gujarat Titans job really well this season. As a batter, if you’re captaining the side, scoring runs becomes even more crucial. And Shubman’s been doing that consistently. He has the temperament and timing to succeed in both roles—captaincy and as a top-order batter.”
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India will now turn the page on the Rohit-Kohli era with a fresh chapter under Shubman Gill’s leadership, starting with a challenging five-match Test series against England, beginning June 20 at Headingley.
