Jasprit Bumrah was a favourite to take over the leadership role from Rohit Sharma in Tests, but the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) might be reconsidering that decision.
According to the latest Indian Express report, the star pacer is unlikely to be considered for the captaincy or vice-captaincy role for the Test tour to England.
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While he led India to their only victory in the last tour of Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) in the absence of Rohit Sharma, his fitness and injuries might become a deal-breaker.
"We want a player who will be available for all five Test matches, and he should be given the vice-captain’s role. Bumrah won’t be playing all five matches, so we don’t want to appoint different deputies for different games. It will be better if the captain and vice-captain should be certain and play all five Tests," the sources told the Indian Express.
Previously, Bumrah was ruled out of the Sydney Test in Australia and had to be out of action for three months. He also missed the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the start of the IPL season for the Mumbai Indians (MI).
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In light of this, the selectors are potentially looking for an alternative option - a young player who can be groomed for the captaincy role after Rohit.
The Sporting News takes a look at 3 players who can take over the leadership role in the future and be the deputy (vice-captain) during India's tour of England in June 2025.
IND vs ENG Tests: 3 vice-captaincy options who can be next captain after Rohit Sharma?
Rishabh Pant
Pant, who is 27, has been a consistent performer for India in red-ball cricket and would be a good choice as vice-captain in the England series. He has also shown good signs for the permanent leadership role in the future.
Despite his questionable numbers in limited overs and a horror season in IPL 2025, the Indian wicket-keeper is still seen as a quality option in Test cricket.
Pant's aggressive brand of cricket could be seen as reckless, but it would be a continuation of Rohit's approach at the top of the order. Most importantly, as a wicket-keeper, he will be expected to play all matches, which is what the selectors are looking for.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 75 | 2948 | 42.11 | 15 | 6 | 159* |
Shubman Gill
The 25-year-old Indian top-order batter, Gill, has shown leadership qualities during his stint at Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025 season. He is also seen as a long-term prospect in the Test team and is a reliable batter at No. 3 and as an opener.
Further, Gill is already the ODI vice-captain, which makes him a favourite to take on the role in the Test format as well.
With age and some experience on his side, the Punjab batter could be a natural candidate to be groomed for red-ball captaincy in the future.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | 59 | 1893 | 35.05 | 7 | 5 | 128 |
Yashasvi Jaiswal
While another youngster, Yashasvi Jaiswal, might have also been a frontrunner, he is seen as too young at 23, according to BCCI sources.
However, the left-hander has shown a desire for captaincy by recently switching to Goa from Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy for a leadership role.
Jaiswal was also picked ahead of Gill during the Boxing Day Test in Australia, with reports of Gautam Gambhir being impressed by the youngster's performances.
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 50s | 100s | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 36 | 1798 | 52.88 | 1 | 4 | 214* |
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Apart from these three options, the likes of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, who are already in their 30s, could be seen as short-term options.
However, if the BCCI selectors are fixed on propping up a young face, Gill, Jaiswal, and Pant appear to be the leading options.