Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has shed light on why the selectors found it easier to appoint Shubman Gill as India’s Test captain for the upcoming England tour. According to Gavaskar, it was Jasprit Bumrah’s honest and selfless admission—that he wouldn’t be available for all five Tests due to his workload and back issues—that paved the way for a clearer decision.
Gill, still only 25 and with just 32 Tests under his belt, averages 35 in red-ball cricket—a number that some believe doesn’t scream captaincy potential just yet. However, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away from the format, the selection committee wanted a consistent leader for the entire five-Test series. Bumrah, despite being a natural leadership candidate, ruled himself out from playing all matches, leaving Gill as the logical and long-term choice.
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“The fact that the total team-man and selfless cricketer named Jasprit Bumrah informed the selectors that he may not be able to play all Tests because of his back issue made the selectors’ job easier. That’s when they zeroed in on Gill as the new India captain,” Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his Mid Day column.
Gavaskar also emphasized that Bumrah will remain a strong support figure for Gill, especially when it comes to leading the bowling attack. “Make no mistake, Bumrah will be there for Gill to lean on. He’ll guide the bowling unit, especially as they strategize against England’s batting,” Gavaskar added.
While impressed with India’s squad balance, Gavaskar expressed concerns over the tight schedule—five Tests packed into just over six weeks. To handle the workload, the selectors have included six pace bowlers and all-rounder Nitish Reddy, who can offer medium pace.
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With the first Test set to begin on June 20 in Leeds and the second Test following on July 2 in Birmingham, time will be tight. Gill and B Sai Sudharsan, currently part of Gujarat Titans, could miss India A’s four-day match against the England Lions starting June 6—especially if their franchise reaches the IPL final on June 3 in Ahmedabad.
