Ravi Shastri emphasised the importance of taking a forward-looking stance. Citing physical concerns and the necessity of bowling first, he recommended against handing the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah, the star pacer. According to the former, Bumrah needs to carefully monitor his workload since he is still recuperating from a significant back injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma recently announced their retirements from Test cricket, leaving India without a leader in the red-ball format. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are two young players that former head coach Ravi Shastri has identified as his top candidates to lead India in the red-ball format.
“You see, after Australia, Jasprit would have been my first option. However, I don’t want Jasprit to be named captain only to lose his bowling ability. Bumrah needs to take things one game at a time, in my opinion. After suffering a severe injury, he is now returning. He will have participated in four-over cricket, or the Indian Premier League. The test of bowling 10 and 15 overs will now begin. Speaking with Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review, Shastri stated, “The last thing you want is some pressure on his mind being captain as well.”
Considering their age and the skills they possess, the former all-rounder thinks Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant are the best contenders for India’s long-term needs.
“He’s a class player,” Ravi Shastri said in closing.
“You groom someone, and Shubman’s looked great, in my opinion. Give him a chance. Give him some time; he’s twenty-five years old. Rishabh is also present. Given their age and the ten years ahead of them, I believe these two are the most obvious candidates I am considering. “Let them learn,” he continued.
Having captained their respective IPL teams, the Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants, Gill and Pant both have respectable leadership backgrounds. Shastri blasted the detractors of Gill, the top-ranked ODI hitter at the moment, who has frequently been criticised for his performances in foreign settings.
“They are now leading their franchise and have experience as captains, which makes a difference. What little I do know about Shubman seems fascinating. He is calm, composed, and possesses all of these traits. You folks will argue that he hasn’t scored any runs abroad. Not scored runs abroad, but that subject usually comes up. I occasionally advise them to check their own records and see how much work they have done abroad. Allowing him to play and get a run abroad will allow him to score runs.
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