Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the senior men’s national selection committee, confirmed Jasprit Bumrah will not play all the five Test matches in England as Shubman Gill is named India’s Test captain on Saturday.
Agarkar confirmed that India’s pace spearhead’s workload will be managed during the five-match series, stating, “I don’t think Bumrah will play all five Tests whether it is four or three we will see how the series goes. Even if it is three or four, he is going to win us the games. He is fit and ready, thankfully.”
He further clarified that while Bumrah had previously led in Australia, the team prioritised his bowling contributions over adding the extra pressure of captaincy for the entire series. He also spoke about KL Rahul, who has also previously led India in Tests.
“I think we need him more as a player. We would rather have him bowling than putting extra pressure on him. KL, not really. He has captained a while back. We hope he has a big series.”
He expressed confidence in Gill’s leadership potential, stating, “Last year or so we have looked at Shubman (for leadership). We are hopeful he is the guy who is going (to take the team forward). It is a high-pressure job but he is a terrific player. We wish him all the best.”
He added that the committee had discussed various names and received feedback from team members before making their decision.
ALSO READ | Shubman Gill announced India Test captain ahead of England tour
“You want to name a captain who can help the team going forward rather than having someone for one or two tour. It is going to be as tough as it gets, may be he will learn on the job, but we have seen what he can do and that is the reason we picked him, he explained.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the five-match Test series against England from June 20. The five Tests are scheduled to be played at Leeds, Birmingham, Lord’s, Manchester, and The Oval.
India will be without the services of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who announced their retirement from the longest format. The former India all-rounder feels the absence but also respect their decision.
“It is always difficult when seniors retire. But it is also an opportunity. You have to respect their decision, they have earned that. We will obviously miss (Kohli and Rohit). It is a new cycle, an opportunity to build something.”