Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 16 : Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri gave his take on India's ongoing Test captaincy vacuum following the retirement of seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, suggesting two youngsters who could be groomed going forward.
Shastri discussed the candidates to take over the captaincy with host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review, urging selectors to prioritise the future and not burden India's pace maestro Jasprit Bumrah with captaincy.
"See, for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia," Shastri said.
"But I do not want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler," he added as quoted by the ICC.
Bumrah has captained India in three matches so far, with their 295-run over Australia at Perth being a highlight. He has lost two of his other matches against England and Australia as captain, away from home.
He cited Bumrah's recent struggle with a back injury sustained in the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy match in Sydney. The 31-year-old was out of action for nearly three months from early January until April, also missing out on India's victorious ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.
"I think he (Bumrah) has to take his body one game at a time. He is coming back now after a serious injury," Shastri noted.
"He will have played IPL cricket, which is four-over cricket. Now will come the test of bowling 10 overs, 15 overs. And the last thing you want is some pressure on his mind being captain as well."
Rather than adding strain to India's pace-bowling spearhead, Shastri backed Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as potential prospects to take over the captaincy, with their age and longevity the key factors behind this choice.
"You groom somebody, and I would say Shubman's looked very good. Give him the opportunity. He is 25, 26 years of age, even give him time," Shastri said.
"There is Rishabh as well. I think these two are the obvious ones I am looking at because of their age, and they have a decade ahead of them. So, let them learn," he added.
Shastri also stressed the fact that with Rohit and Virat Kohli's recent retirement from Test cricket, India has to look forward to the future, further justifying Pant or Gill as his choices for the role.
The duo also have leadership experience, captaining their franchises (Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans) in the Indian Premier League.
"They have got experience as captains, now, captaining their franchise, and that makes a difference," Shastri noted.
"The little I have seen of Shubman looks very interesting. Composed, calm, he has all the qualities," said Shastri as he commended the temperament of the No.1 ranked batter in the ICC ODI Player Rankings.
The Indian legend also quashed concerns over Gill's form overseas and backed him to have a breakthrough away tour soon. In 15 away matches so far, Gill has scored 716 runs at an average of a disappointing 27.53, with just one century and two fifties in 28 innings. Ever since his iconic knock of 91 at the Gabba, which helped India win the series, he has not scored a half-century in South Africa, England, New Zealand, or Australia (SENA) conditions, success where is important for Indian batters.
"You people will talk, he has not scored runs overseas. You know, that topic always comes, not scored runs overseas," he said
"Sometimes I tell them, go and see your own record, how much have you done overseas? Overseas, overseas, let him play, let him get a run overseas, then he'll score runs. He's a class player."
Gill has served as the Indian vice-captain in the ODI side, and even captained India in a T20I series in Zimbabwe.
The visitors emerged triumphant by a 4-1 margin as Gill scored 170 runs from his five innings striking at a steady 125.92 with a highest score of 66 in India's 23-run victory over Zimbabwe in the third T20I.
"He has a decade of cricket ahead of him for the country," Shastri said.
"And I am sure he will get cracking in one of the tours, he will make up for all those runs he's not got on earlier," he added.
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