BCCI set to remove Rohit Sharma as test captain

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has almost decided to appoint a new Test captain, with Jasprit Bumrah being the likely successor to Rohit Sharma.

Indian media reported that Rohit Sharma is unlikely to be considered for Tests anymore, and Bumrah, who is the Test vice-captain, will take over as the leader from the England tour in June-July this year.

Bumrah has already led India in three Tests, showing potential as a leader. He has had two opportunities to captain the team, both of which were due to Rohit Sharma’s unavailability.

In the first instance, Rohit was battling Covid, and Bumrah stepped up to lead the team in the fifth and final Test against England in Birmingham in 2022, showing signs of being a good leader.

His second opportunity to lead the team came when Rohit arrived in Australia late last year for the birth of his second child.

Bumrah single-handedly bowled India to victory in the first match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth.

The need for a new captain arises from Rohit Sharma’s poor form in Test cricket in 2024. He averaged less than 25 and scored more single-figure scores than ever.

Moreover, India lost all six Tests in which Rohit was captain from late 2024 to early 2025, including a first-ever whitewash at home against New Zealand and three Test defeats in Australia, where Rohit’s scores were 2, 52, 0, 8, 18, 11, 3, 6, 10, 3.

Although Rohit announced that he had no plans to retire from any format, it seems likely that the board had already had a conversation with him, keeping the future in mind.