Story started from 2021
In the 2021-22 season, when Virat Kohli was gradually leaving the captaincy in all the formats, the team was felt lacking. At that time Rohit Sharma was considered the next captain, but the selectors understood the need to prepare new players keeping in mind the future. According to the information, during that time a leadership group was formed by the BCCI which included Jaspreet Bumrah, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. These players were designed for the role of the vice-captain and said that their performance and the ability of the leader would be monitored so that they would be ready to replace Rohit Sharma when the time comes.
Full story of Gill becoming captain
Now the year is 2025 and after Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket, Team India has got a new captain. Young batsman Shubman Gill has been given the command of India’s Test team. At the same time, there was a match between Jaspreet Bumrah, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for the vice-captain, but Pant was finally given this responsibility. Shubman Gill started his Test career in Australia and since then he has done well. From the under-19 level, he was considered a special player, but now the position he has left behind many experienced players is a big turn in the history of Indian cricket.
Although what is the reason behind the curtain, it will come out in the coming time, but some reasons are clear. The most important is Gill’s batting. After his debut in Australia in 2020-21, he struggled in several series, but still the team management remained confident in him. In the initial 17 Tests, he scored only three times above fifty, but now he has established himself as a leader.
Team expressed confidence in Gill
Although Shubman Gill’s performance in the Test was nothing special, the team maintained trust in him. One of the major reasons for this was that his form in domestic cricket and IPL was going well. In the end of 2022 and 2023, he returned to international cricket, but not Test but through ODI cricket. Opening with Rohit Sharma, Gill showed a brilliant game before the 2023 ODI World Cup and scored five centuries. Since the Test matches were rarely played that year, Gill got a good chance to prove himself.
Although he was harassed by the disease during the World Cup, he showed his ability to everyone by scoring four half -centuries. Gill saw the ability to win the match, but gradually it became clear that opening in Test cricket is not the best place for him. After this, the team sent him at number three and Yashasvi Jaiswal was made opener. Now Gill is proving himself in this new role.
Pant and Rahul left behind
India’s South Africa tour was disappointing after the World Cup. It was then said that the domestic series against England could be the last chance for Shubman Gill. But Gill turned the pressure into opportunity and impressed everyone by scoring two centuries and two half -centuries. He then scored another century against Bangladesh and scored 90 against New Zealand.
While Gill was winning the trust of the selectors with his batting, luck gave him a chance to move forward. Rishabh Pant was considered to be his biggest rival as he had already made a strong place in the team and was considered a future veteran. But one of his accidents led to his Test career about two years, which stopped his possibilities of Rohit Sharma’s successor.
Bumrah could not become captain
At the same time, KL Rahul may have captained India on the tour of South Africa in 2022, but his Test performance was poor and he could not make a place in the domestic Test team. In such a situation, Jasprit Bumrah once again got a chance. He also captained a Test in 2022. Now he was made the vice-captain for the important border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2024-25. In Rohit’s absence, he won India in Perth and proved himself for this role. But due to injury during the tour of Australia, Bumrah had to stay away from cricket for a long time and could not play in the Champions Trophy. Today, Indian selector Ajit Agarkar told that Jaspreet Bumrah will not be available for all matches in the five -Test series against England. According to physiotherapists, their charge will be limited. The biggest reason behind not making Bumrah a captain was his fitness.