Shubman Gill to replace Jasprit Bumrah as Team India's Test vice-captain: Reports

Shubman Gill might have missed out on getting picked in the 2024 T20 World Cup squad in the Americas, but his pedigree for success and keenness to improve helped him graduate from an emerging player to part of the leadership group. Per the latest reports, the opener might replace ace seamer Jasprit Bumrah as Test’s vice-captain, starting with the home season in September.

Following the change in the backroom staff after a successful T20 WC campaign, with Gautam Gambhir replacing Rahul Dravid as Team India’s new head coach, the onus fell on Gill as the selectors backed him to succeed Rohit Sharma as all-format captain.

Until this year, Gill never captained a senior side, but he was named the skipper of his IPL team (Gujarat Titans) and later led Team India in the five-match series against Zimbabwe, which the Men in Blue won 4-1. Impressed with his leadership ability and considering factors like age and fitness, the decision-makers handpicked him as the future India captain.

Gill first replaced Hardik Pandya as the vice-captain in the ODIs, with the selectors overlooking the star all-rounder over his fitness concerns, and now he might replace Bumrah for the same position in Tests.

India’s home season begins with two Tests against Bangladesh, starting September 19 in Chennai, with the second Test at the Green Park in Kanpur from September 27.

Although India hosts New Zealand for three Tests after that, their crucial away tour of Australia consisting of five Tests will be a litmus test for Rohit and Gill in the leadership group.

‘Gill is a three-format player’

With Gill being one of the limited three-format players for India, the selectors pinned their hopes on him to nurture into a leader who can lead across formats.

Pinpointing the same during the Sri Lanka’s pre-series presser in Mumbai, the chief selector Ajit Agarkar said,

“This time with the T20 World Cup around, when Hardik got injured, it was a bit of a challenge. At that time, Rohit wasn’t playing. He was around, and we were lucky that Rohit was available to lead. We don’t want that situation again. Shubman is the guy we feel again, as he is a three-format player, and he has shown quality over the last year or so. And we have heard from the dressing room.”

Meanwhile, Gill will open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

(With inputs from agencies)