New Delhi: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 heading towards its business end, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shifted its attention towards India’s upcoming tour of England. India will be heading to England in June this year for a crucial five-match Test series. While Rohit Sharma remains India’s designated captain in Tests, he is reportedly not guaranteed to lead the team in the England Test series.
There has reportedly been a lot of deliberation over who should captain India in the all-important England Test series. However, there has been no final decision made yet. The board and the team management are reportedly keen on grooming star batter Shubman Gill for a leadership role for India in the longest format.
India have lost their last two Test series in a row under skipper Rohit. They suffered a humiliating 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home before losing 3-1 to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. While Rohit captained India in three matches, Bumrah led India in two Tests in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Rohit endured a woeful series as he could manage a dismal 31 runs in three Tests before dropping himself from the playing XI for the fifth and final Test match in Sydney. Bumrah, on the other hand, sustained a back injury during the fifth Test and went on to miss the Champions Trophy 2025 earlier this year.
As per a report in the Times of India, Rohit has expressed his desire to continue leading India in Tests, but the board has given no guarantees that he will be in charge of the team on the upcoming tour of England. The BCCI is keen on grooming Gill for a leadership role in Tests. Gill is already India’s vice-captain in ODIs and T20Is and could be elevated to vice-captaincy in Tests for the England series.
BCCI turns down senior player’s offer for Test captaincy
As per the report, the BCCI also turned down a senior Indian player’s offer to return as the captain of the Test side. The senior player offered to take the captaincy, sensing a vacuum in leadership. However, the board rejected the approach. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and the Indian team management were also keen on grooming a young player as captain from a long-term perspective.
“A new WTC cycle is starting. Future and continuity has to be kept in mind as far as the team is concerned. Even coach Gautam Gambhir would want a set of players he is likely to work with for an extended period. There can’t be any stop-gap solutions for such an important series. The last two Test series haven’t been ideal for the team and the England series is very crucial,” a source was quoted as saying by Times of India.
The BCCI and the Indian team management is reportedly keen on grooming Shubman Gill for a leadership role in Tests as Rohit Sharma is not guaranteed to continue leading the team in the upcoming Test series against England. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
