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As Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their sudden Test retirements, the former World Cup-winning Indian player Kris Srikkanth has opened up on the captaincy options Team India has currently for the England tour.
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Srikkanth feels Indian top-order batter Shubman Gill isn’t a ready-made captaincy candidate for now. However, he wants India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to take up the role. In his absence, KL Rahul would be taking the responsibility.
"Who's a ready-made captaincy candidate now? Shubman Gill? I don't think he is still a certainty in the XI. You're not handing the captaincy to KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant. Otherwise, you give it to Jasprit Bumrah. The other choice is Bumrah. You say, 'Boss, you're the captain'. And whichever Test match he doesn't play, you give KL Rahul the responsibility,” Srikkanth told India Today.
"As of now, I think Bumrah should be the captain. If I were the chairman of selectors, I would make Bumrah the captain. And then I'd say, 'Boss, play whichever matches you want to'. I'd then appoint KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant as vice-captain, because these are certainties in the XI," he added.
Furthermore, the former Indian cricketer felt that the Ajit Agarkar-led Indian selection committee was simply promoting Gill as the next Test captain, just for the sake of it. He added that Gill is yet to score big runs overseas.
"There's nothing wrong with that. You can't be appointing someone as captain just for the sake of it. I don't know what the selectors are thinking, but this is my view," he stated.
"A lot is being said about Shubman Gill, but he is yet to score big runs. In England, Australia, South Africa - he has never scored. That means you're thrusting everything on him. Let Shubman Gill establish himself in Test cricket. He is a king in home conditions,” he observed.
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