Indian national cricket team's fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is the favorite to replace Rohit Sharma as the team's captain in the longest format of the game. However, he might not be the long-term option due to injury issues, as per reports in PTI.
India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is currently the vice-captain of the team and if protocols are followed, he will be the next captain. He captained the side in Rohit Sharma's absence in Perth and also was in charge when the regular skipper fell to the bottom spot.
Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in the Tests against England, not a long-term choice with injury problems
But after playing all the games with most of the bowling under his belt, Jasprit Bumrah got injured in the last match of the series. Reports suggest that the fast bowler has suffered back swelling and will even miss the league stage of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
However, now that he is injured, this has raised a lot of questions within the head of the selection committee whether Bumrah can be the permanent choice to lead India or not. For now, he appears to be the first choice and is expected to take over soon.
Reports claim that if fit, Bumrah will lead India's national cricket team in Tests against England later this year. However, this could also see the selectors appointing a vice-captain who can take over if there are some unforeseen circumstances.
Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the two names that have emerged to be the vice-captain of the team in Tests
Reports added that Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the two names that have emerged to be the vice-captain of the team. But, it is learned that the wicketkeeper-batsman, who is also the captain in the IPL, looks best suited for the role of vice-captain.
Jasprit Bumrah's injury in the final Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy has produced a school of thought on whether the fast bowler can stay fit for long periods. He is also crucial for India in the white-ball games and given his workload, he might not lead the team for a while.
The selectors have also kept in mind Plan B, the vice-captaincy to be groomed under Jasprit Bumrah before taking charge
With no guarantee of Jasprit Bumrah's injury, the selectors have also kept in mind Plan B. Under that, they could have another equally strong captaincy candidate who can be groomed as vice-captain under the pacer and then take over permanent role.
It remains to be seen who among Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal will take over the vice-captaincy of the team. Both the players have been top performers for the Indian national cricket team in the Tests of late after scoring plenty of runs for the team.
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