Shubman Gill Likely to Replace Bumrah as India Test Vice-Captain for Bangladesh Series | Reports

July 27, 2024 0 724

Reports suggest Shubman Gill, who has emerged as a leading candidate for India’s captaincy in white-ball cricket, is likely to replace Jasprit Bumrah as the vice-captain.

Shubman Gill is set to replace Jasprit Bumrah as India’s vice-captain for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, according to sources in the BCCI reported by RevSportz. Gill, who debuted internationally in 2019, was not initially considered among the potential successors to Rohit Sharma as India’s captain across formats. However, with Rohit retiring from T20Is, Gill has been named the vice-captain in white-ball cricket and is now expected to take on the same role in Test cricket.

Previously, India had three main contenders for the Test vice-captaincy: Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant. Bumrah led India in a rescheduled Test against England in 2022 and served as vice-captain in a recent series against South Africa and England. Rahul and Pant also held leadership roles, with Rahul captaining in South Africa and Pant serving as Bumrah’s deputy.

Earlier, BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar had explained that Gill’s elevation was due to his performance across all formats, especially with the T20 World Cup approaching. The management wanted an all-format player to ensure leadership continuity, especially after facing challenges during Hardik Pandya’s injury.

“This time with the T20 World Cup around, when Hardik got injured, it was a bit of a challenge. At that time, Rohit wasn’t playing. He was around and we were lucky that Rohit was available to lead. We don’t want that situation again. Shubman is the guy we feel again as he is a three-format player, and he has shown quality over the last year or so. And we have heard from the dressing room,” Agarkar had said.

“You try and have somebody who can also learn from a couple of the senior guys that are there. Surya in this instance or Rohit who’s still around so we don’t face the same challenges (that) suddenly (you are) trying to look for a captain in case there are injuries or loss of form somewhere. He’s shown some decent leadership qualities. We want to try and get him the experience that he can put forward. There are no guarantees in life but at this point, that’s the thought,” he added.

The Test series against Bangladesh will begin on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and conclude on September 27 at Green Park in Nagpur.