Shubman Gill’s rise ruffles feathers, but Gautam Gambhir’s backing seals captaincy: Report

Shubman Gill’s rise ruffles feathers (PTI Photo)

Jasprit Bumrah was always the favorite to be the captain of the Indian Test team. Along with his most recent partner, R Ashwin, the 31-year-old also received the support of the experts, including the great Sunil Gavaskar and Anil Kumble. He would most likely have been crowned when the selectors announced the squad for the England Test tour. Bumrah, however, was eliminated from consideration after the Sydney incident in January this year, and the board is now almost destined to choose Shubman Gill to succeed Rohit Sharma.

Following Rohit's absence from the series opener in Perth due to the birth of his second child, Bumrah guided India to their only victory throughout the Australian tour. He was also selected as captain for the final Test in Sydney when Rohit removed himself from the starting lineup due to poor form. Bumrah did not return to the pitch after suffering a back injury on the fateful January 4 morning in Sydney. Bumrah's chances of being India's long-term Test captain were severely damaged by the injury, more so than the defeat.

Selectors allegedly questioned whether Bumrah should be given the additional duty of heading the Test team due to workload issues after the fast bowler missed the Champions Trophy and the beginning of the IPL 2025 due to his three-month absence. Additionally, Bumrah had already missed an ICC event due to prolonged absences from action.

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Gill, who has demonstrated his value as an IPL captain for the Gujarat Titans and as the deputy in both white-ball forms, was chosen by the selectors after they gave some thought to the next-best candidate.

Gill wasn't preferred by everyone to be the Test captain, though. "Influential people running Indian cricket" were irritated by Gill's ascent, as per a report by PTI on Thursday, but they were kept informed when the board zeroed him as the next captain. Although there were rumors that Bumrah's name would still come up in the conversation, the report also stated that a recent "extended meeting" between the 25-year-old and head coach Gautam Gambhir in Delhi verified that he had been chosen for the position.

"Head coach Gautam Gambhir's presence in Mumbai, for offering puja at the Siddhivinayak Temple, had the rumour mills working overtime that Shubman Gill is still not a done deal for the leadership role. With the new captain-in-waiting having an extended meeting with the head coach in the national capital a few days back, there is little chance for the selectors or Gambhir to retract from their original stand. There were rumours that influential people running Indian cricket aren't exactly happy with Gill's sudden elevation but it would be completely foolhardy to believe that those powerful men weren't taken into confidence before the Punjab batter was zeroed in as the next Test leader," the report read.