Former coach Ravi Shastri names Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as top prospects to lead India’s Test team, favoring them over Jasprit Bumrah due to fitness concerns. With leadership experience and long careers ahead, Gill and Pant stand out as future captains following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has identified Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant as the most promising candidates to lead India’s Test team in the future. Speaking on The ICC Review show, Shastri emphasized their age, temperament, and the potential for long-term careers as the key reasons behind his choice.
As India prepares for a new era in Test cricket following Rohit Sharma’s retirement earlier this month, the search for a fresh leader has intensified ahead of the five-match Test series against England starting June 20 at Headingley. Shastri suggested that both Gill and Pant are ideally placed to step up.
“You groom somebody and I would say Shubman’s looked very good. Give him the opportunity. He’s 25, 26 years of age, even give him time. There’s Rishabh as well. I think these two are the obvious ones I’m looking at because of their age and they have a decade ahead of them. So, let them learn,” Shastri said.
Both players already have leadership experience. Gill is leading the Gujarat Titans, and Pant is at the helm of the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. Pant has also captained the Indian side in the 2022 T20I series against South Africa, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Gill led India on their 2024 Zimbabwe tour in the shortest format, where the team won the series 4-1.
Shastri praised Gill’s demeanor, saying, “The little I’ve seen of Shubman looks very interesting. Composed, calm, he has all the qualities.” He also dismissed concerns about Gill’s inconsistent Test performances abroad, pointing out that such criticism is often premature. “Let him play, let him get a run overseas, then he’ll score runs. He’s a class player. He has a decade of cricket ahead of him for the country.”
While Jasprit Bumrah has also captained India in Tests — notably leading the team to a win in Perth during the 2023-24 Border-Gavaskar Trophy — Shastri was cautious about considering the pacer for long-term leadership.
“See for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia. But I don’t want Jasprit to be made captain and then you lose him as a bowler,” he said. Shastri pointed to Bumrah’s recent back injury, which kept him out of key fixtures including the Champions Trophy 2025. Though Bumrah has returned in IPL 2025, Shastri stressed the physical demands of Test cricket. “He’ll have played IPL cricket, which is four-over cricket. Now will come the test of bowling 10 overs, 15 overs. And the last thing you want is some pressure on his mind being captain as well.”
As India looks for stability and vision in its post-Rohit Test era, Shastri’s endorsement of Gill and Pant offers a glimpse into the future of Indian cricket leadership — one that balances talent, temperament, and long-term planning.
