The sudden retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have created a significant leadership vacuum in India’s Test team. According to former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah deserves the captaincy in the circumstances.
“I didn’t have an idea both (Rohit and Kohli) would retire together,” Ashwin said on his YouTube show ‘Ash Ki Baat’. “This will a testing time for Indian cricket, and I’ll say this is truly now the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era.
“The team that will tour England will be a completely new team, a transformed team where Bumrah will probably be the senior-most player. He is obviously one of the captaincy options; I think he deserves the captaincy, but the selectors will take a decision based on his physical capacity.
“Their (Virat & Rohit) retirements will definitely create a leadership vacuum. You can’t buy experience, especially on tours like this. Virat’s energy and Rohit’s composure will be missed.”
Shubman Gill is considered the frontrunner to succeed Rohit despite Bumrah having been vice-captain until the tour of Australia earlier this year. He was the stand-in captain during the victory in the Perth Test and also led in the fifth Test in Sydney when Rohit decided to stay out of the playing XI.
Reflecting on the timing of their retirements, Ashwin said he thought both players had more to offer.
“There will be a sense of fulfilment, but I honestly feel Kohli definitely had one-two years of Test cricket left in him,” Ashwin said. “Rohit, I felt would at least go on till the England Test series, because there’s a leadership vacuum in the team.
“Tests has been the finest (format for India) in the last 10-12 years, but just for the sake of leadership, Rohit should’ve played till the England series, and if he’d performed, he could’ve carried on and given some more leadership.
“My favourite piece of batsmanship of Rohit for India was when he played in England (2021)... When he and KL Rahul opened, we were 2-1 ahead because of Rohit. The opening partnership was gun, strong.
“Between 2018-19 and 2022- 23 was Rohit’s best phase as a Test batter. Even the Covid series in Australia which we won, his batting was top-notch. Then also he was looking very good, didn’t get big runs but batting was top-notch.