New Delhi: Amid uncertainty surrounding Rohit Sharma’s future in Test cricket, India head coach Gautam Gambhir has reportedly backed Virat Kohli to return as Test captain. Gambhir reportedly held talks with Kohli about returning as skipper in the longest format as he believes the others in contention are still developing and can’t be trusted with the responsibility of leading the side.
Rohit endured a disastrous tour of Australia where he failed to fire with the bat, managing only 36 runs in three Tests before being left out of the playing XI for the final fifth Test in Sydney. His leadership credentials were also questioned during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 as India failed to win even a single Test against Australia under Rohit’s captaincy.
Jasprit Bumrah, who led India to a commanding victory in the first Test in Perth in Rohit’s absence, captained the team in the 5th Test after the senior batter was dropped from the playing XI. Bumrah is seen as a natural contender to become India’s permanent Test captain amid speculations over Rohit’s future in the longest format.
However, a report in myKhel has made a stunning revelation. As per the report, Gambhir is in favour of Kohli returning as India’s Test captain and he also held talks with the former India skipper during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. As per the report, Kohli, however, hasn’t indicated his position on taking over Test captaincy once again. The report also stated that Bumrah is not being considered due to workload management.
“Coach Gautam Gambhir has backed the idea of Virat leading the Test team again. But he is yet to clear his stance officially,” a source was quoted as saying by myKhel.
“Team India has done well under the aggressive captaincy of Virat, especially in overseas conditions. With the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle starting, the team needs a leader like Kohli because the next line of Test leaders is still in development. In the interim, Kohli looks like the most suited option,” the source added.
Virat Kohli’s record as Test captain
Kohli is India’s most successful Test captain of all time with 40 wins in 68 Test matches. India emerged as a dominant force in Tests under Kohli and won their maiden Test series in Australia in 2018 while also proving their mettle in SENA countries. India’s next Test assignment will be a challenging tour of England which will get underway right after the conclusion of IPL 2025.
With Rohit’s future under the scanner, the selectors and team management will have to take some difficult calls and it remains to be seen if Kohli will be trusted with the leadership role once again. The England Test series will also mark the start of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India and Kohli’s return as captain can prove to be crucial to their chances of reaching their third WTC final.
Virat Kohli is reportedly in the line to replace Rohit Sharma as India’s Test captain and has the backing of head coach Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir reportedly held talks with Kohli about taking over captaincy again during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
