India-England Test series: Why were Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul not made captain or vice-captain?

All eyes were on the announcement of the Indian Test squad for the five-match Test series against England starting next month since a new captain had to be picked after the retirement of Rohit Sharma earlier this month. Also, India’s star batter and former skipper Virat Kohli, too, had called it a day.

 

With the selectors naming young opener Shubman Gill the new Test captain and swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant the vice-captain, it’s a new era and a paradigm shift in Indian Test cricket after the retirement of Sharma, Kohli and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, and the falling-out-of-favour of Test veterans like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.

 

There were at least three names tipped to take over the mantle of captaincy from Rohit Sharma – Gill, Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul. India’s pace spearhead Bumrah was the vice-captain on the previous tour of Australia, and so, was seen as the natural choice for captaincy. However, his long-term fitness and workload management went against him.

 

"With Booms (Bumrah), it was more about his workload management," chief selector Ajit Agarkar said after announcing the squad. "I don't think he will be available for all five Tests. Whether it's four or three, we will see based on how the series goes and his workload is. Even if he's fit for 3-4 Tests, he will be an asset for us."

 

When asked why the 31-year-old was not even considered for the position of vice-captain, Agarkar said he is “more important to the team as a player”. “Once you are managing people, there's a lot that takes out of you. We have had a chat with him, he's okay with it. He knows where his body is at.”

 

‘Not really’: Ajit Agarkar dismisses question on KL Rahul’s captaincy chances

 

Rahul may be one of the few experienced players in the squad, but it did not make him one of the contenders to lead the Indian Test team.

 

When asked whether the 33-year-old was considered for captaincy, Agarkar said, “KL (Rahul) not really. He's captained a while back, he's a quality player and hope he has a big series.” The remark made it evident that he was nowhere in the team management’s scheme of things as far as captaincy or vice-captaincy was concerned.

 

India will play five Tests against England, starting June 20.

 

India squad for England Test series:

 

Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

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