Mumbai: Jasprit Bumrah is one of the top picks to lead the team before India’s big five-match Test series with England begins on June 20, 2025. Even though BCCI has yet to reveal the official lineup, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli no longer part of the Test team, three former India selectors have named their preferred 16, and in all three cases, Jasprit Bumrah is reported as the top choice for captain. As the first event of the next World Test Championship cycle, the series will show how India’s new team will perform after recent defeats in New Zealand and Australia.
Is Bumrah prepared for the role of Captain?
Bumrah, who played a key role in India’s big win over Australia in Perth, is supported by MSK Prasad, Devang Gandhi and Jatin Paranjape for the role of captain. Before taking the Indian captaincy, he captained the team in the 2022 rescheduled fifth Test against England and in two Tests in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Although people are concerned about his heavy workload and the Australia trip injury, Bumrah’s strong leadership and quick bowling skills have pushed him ahead of others. Mukund Prasad picked Shubman Gill as vice-captain, Gandhi chose Rishabh Pant, and Bhuvanesh Paranjape picked all-rounder Shardul Thakur for his versatility.
However, Gagan Khoda selected KL Rahul as the captain and Bumrah as the backup, taking into account Rahul’s success at the bat in Australia. A surprise addition to Khoda’s squad was Karun Nair, who could be signalling that he is on his way back. In fact, none of the selectors included Shubman Gill as captain, even though many in the media and on X heavily discussed how ready he was to be a captain.
How the Squad Is Put Together and What’s Included
The England selectors have chosen a combination of youth and experience that will work best in English conditions. Openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant behind the stumps; and Ravindra Jadeja round out the popular picks. Sai Sudharsan, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy were also on the team, and it ‘s possible Sudharsan will earn the No. 3 spot previously held by Kohli. Iyer and Sarfaraz were joined by Gandhi and Paranjape to strengthen the team’s middle order, and Nair was chosen by Khoda as a surprise pick.
Leading the bowling will be Bumrah, Shami, Siraj and, some of the time, Rana and Krishna. Concerns over Shami’s abilities and worry about Bumrah’s health mean some are calling for the addition of left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh for his first national chance. I assume Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar will spin for India, and Axar Patel might be the third spinner.
After a series of recent Test losses, India needs a strong showing on the England tour. The team must be cautious with Bumrah’s schedule since his injury past probably won’t allow him to play all the Tests. Some have proposed trying a split-captaincy model, where either Gill or Rahul leads when Bumrah isn’t playing. Since Kohli and Ashwin aren’t part of the squad, India needs bowlers and batters from domestic matches and chose Sudharsan and Nair for that purpose.
Users on X talk about captaincy differently, with several supporting Bumrah’s experience and the others choosing Gill for his age and future promise. Some believe that if Bumrah commits to all five Tests, he could become captain, but there are also rumours that he might win over Gill because of the Mumbai lobby. However, neither side has confirmed these sentiments.
The squad led by Abhimanyu Easwaran will play in two first-class matches with England Lions and a practice match among themselves. The Test series will start in Leeds and then go to Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester and the Oval. Gautam Gambhir, as head coach, aims to unify the team to take on England at home, where they have shared successes.
Now, all eyes are on Ajit Agarkar and his committee to confirm Bumrah’s official appointment as the senior Indian team captain. If he leads well and the squad is in balance, it could mark an exciting start for India in Test cricket. Meanwhile, these announced teams give a sneak peek at what people can expect in the series.
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