Why Were Bumrah and Rahul Overlooked for Test Captaincy? BCCI Explains

Ajit Agarkar clarifies that long-term vision and player workload were key factors behind choosing Gill to lead India in England.

May 25, 2025: Shubman Gill has been officially named as India’s new Test captain, with the BCCI revealing its decision during a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday. The 25-year-old opener will lead the team in the upcoming five-Test series against England, starting on June 20. While Gill has never captained in red-ball cricket, he has led India in a T20I series in Zimbabwe and has been a vice-captain in white-ball formats.

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The decision to overlook experienced leaders like Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul raised eyebrows, but chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the rationale. “Bumrah has led us in Australia, but he’s not available for all the Tests. We wanted him more as a bowler because managing 15-16 people as captain takes a lot out of you. Having him fit and focused on bowling is crucial for us,” Agarkar said.

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Regarding KL Rahul, Agarkar noted, “KL captained a while back, but I was not there at that time. We hope he has a big series, but our priority was to plan for the future.”

Agarkar emphasized that a captaincy decision isn’t just for a single series. “You don’t select a captain for one or two series; it’s about long-term planning. We’re hopeful that Shubman will learn and grow into the role,” he said.

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Gill, who also captains the Gujarat Titans in the IPL, becomes one of India’s youngest Test captains in recent years. He has already scored 1,893 runs in 32 Test matches, including five centuries, and was a key part of India’s Champions Trophy-winning side earlier this year.

India’s Test Squad for England:
Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

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BCCI, Ajit Agarkar, Shubman Gill, India Test Squad, India vs England Test Series 2025, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Cricket News, Indian Cricket Team, Test Cricket, England Tour 2025