Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has opened up about why he would prefer Jasprit Bumrah to focus solely on his bowling rather than take up the responsibility of Test captaincy. Although Shastri acknowledged that Bumrah would have been his “obvious choice” for the role after his remarkable leadership and individual performance in Australia, he expressed concerns about the physical and mental toll that captaincy could impose on the fast bowler.
Bumrah’s absence during the final Test against Australia was a significant blow to India’s chances of winning, and perhaps more critically, it also dimmed his prospects of becoming the team’s long-term Test leader. Now at 31, Bumrah finds himself in a phase where the idea of permanent leadership for India seems more like a distant aspiration. Reports suggest that his workload management will be under scrutiny, especially with the upcoming five-match Test series in England, where playing all five games in succession may not be feasible.
“See, for me, Jasprit would have been the obvious choice after Australia. But I don’t want Jasprit to be made captain, and then you lose him as a bowler. I think he (Bumrah) has to take his body one game at a time,” Shastri explained on the latest episode of ICC Review. He emphasized the need to allow Bumrah the space to gradually reintegrate into the demands of long-format cricket. “He’s coming back now after a serious injury. He’ll have played IPL, which is four overs. Now will come the test of bowling 10 overs, 15 overs. And the last thing you want is some pressure on his mind being captain as well,” he added.
Instead of placing that burden on Jasprit Bumrah, Shastri pointed to two younger players as fitting candidates for future leadership roles—Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Their age and potential to serve Indian cricket for the next decade make them ideal long-term prospects in his view.
