Ashwin Foresees Leadership Gap After Kohli, Sharma Step Down

Former bowling all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin voiced his support on Tuesday for pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah to assume the Test captaincy for India, following the unexpected retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin stated that he was unaware of Sharma and Kohli’s plans to retire concurrently, adding that their joint departure would result in a leadership void within the Indian cricket squad.

Ashwin, 38, endorsed Bumrah, highlighting him as the most experienced player, to guide the relatively new team.

“I didn’t know both [Rohit and Kohli] would retire at the same time,” Ashwin commented on his YouTube channel. “This period will be a challenge for Indian cricket, and I believe this marks the true start of the Gautam Gambhir era.

“The squad heading to England will be fundamentally different, a transformed unit where Bumrah will likely be the most seasoned player. He is certainly a captaincy candidate; I believe he warrants consideration, but the selectors will decide based on his fitness.

“Their decisions to step down will undoubtedly create a leadership void. Experience is invaluable, particularly on tours like this. Virat’s dynamism and Rohit’s level-headedness will be missed.”

Contrary to Ashwin’s suggestion, reports indicate that top-order batter Shubman Gill is a leading contender to succeed Sharma as India’s Test captain, even though Bumrah served as vice-captain up until the tour of Australia last year.

Bumrah also acted as the interim captain for the first match of a series and when Sharma chose to miss the final Test.

Notably, managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload remains a significant obstacle to his potential appointment as India’s Test captain.