Virat Kohli’s bombshell announcement to quit Test captaincy after India’s series defeat against South Africa earlier this month has left the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with the hard task of naming a new Test captain. While white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma and opening batter KL Rahul have been regarded as favourites to get the job, many in the cricket fraternity have given the likes of Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah an outside chance. 

Talking about Bumrah’s chances of getting the Test captaincy, former India head coach Ravi Shastri dismissed the suggestions and claimed it is difficult for fast bowlers to get captaincy in India unless they are all-rounders like Kapil Dev. 

Speaking on Ex-Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s Youtube channel, Shastri said, “No, I never thought of it. In India we’ve had enough. And I never thought in that fashion at that time. In India it’s going to be difficult for a fast bowler to captain. A fast bowler captain has to be an all-rounder basically or he has to be a Bob Willis kind of captain who in conditions where they play, a fast bowler will always be in the game, he will be aggressive.

“He’ll be looking to win games and take wickets. Very rarely has a fast bowler been there for too long. Unless he is a genuine all-rounder like Kapil, Imran or Sir Garfield.” Bumrah had voiced his interest in being given Test captaincy in a pre-match press conference ahead of the ODI series against the Proteas. 

The new Test captain is set to be named before India’s two-match home series against Sri Lanka next month which will begin in Bengaluru on 25th February with the second and final Test match set to take place in Mohali from 5th March.  After being rested from the Indian ODI and T20I side for the upcoming series against West Indies, Bumrah is expected to return to the team for the Sri Lanka series.