Shubman Gill’s rise irks ‘influential people’ in Indian cricket, but Gambhir’s 'long meeting' confirms captaincy: Report

The Indian Test captaincy was always Jasprit Bumrah's for the taking. The 31-year-old also had the backing of the experts, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Anil Kumble, as well as his most recent teammate, R Ashwin. In the next two weeks, he would probably have been coronated as the selectors named the squad for the England Test tour. However, the episode in Sydney in January of this year saw Bumrah fall out of contention, with the board all but certain to go ahead with Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma's replacement. Shubman Gill is reportedly set to be named as the next India Test captain

Bumrah led India to their solitary win on the tour of Australia when Rohit missed the series opener in Perth due to the birth of his second child. He was also named the captain for the final Test in Sydney after Rohit dropped himself from the XI due to poor form, and he stood as India's only hope for a consolation victory after conceding the series.

However, on the fateful January 4 morning in Sydney, Bumrah injured his back, and did not return to the field again. More than the loss, injured Bumrah dealt a telling blow to his chances of becoming India's long-term Test captain.

With the fast bowler sidelined for about three months, which saw him miss the Champions Trophy and the start of the IPL 2025, selectors reportedly wondered if Bumrah should be given the added responsibility of leading the Test side amid workload concerns. This was also not the first time Bumrah was out of action for an extended period, which saw him miss an ICC tournament.

The selectors, hence, contemplated considering the next-best option, and thus emerged Shubman Gill, who has already proven his worth as an IPL captain, for the Gujarat Titans, and as the deputy in both the white-ball formats.

Shubman Gill wasn't a unanimous choice; Gambhir held an extended meeting

However, Gill wasn't a unanimous choice for Test captaincy. A PTI report on Thursday indicated that Gill's sudden rise irked 'influential people running Indian cricket', but they were kept in the loop as the board zeroed him in as the next skipper. The report also said that while there were rumours that there was still scope for Bumrah's name to emerge in the discussion, a recent "extended meeting" between the 25-year-old and head coach Gautam Gambhir in Delhi confirmed his selection for the role.

"Head coach Gautam Gabhir's presence in Mumbai, for offering puja at the Siddhivinayak Temple, had the rumour mills working overtime that Shubman Gill is still not a done deal for the leadership role. With the new captain-in-waiting having an extended meeting with the head coach in the national capital a few days back, there is little chance for the selectors or Gambhir to retract from their original stand. There were rumours that influential people running Indian cricket aren't exactly happy with Gill's sudden elevation but it would be completely foolhardy to believe that those powerful men weren't taken into confidence before the Punjab batter was zeroed in as the next Test leader," the report read.

The Indian team is likely to be picked by the end of this month, with players set to leave for London after the IPL final on June 3. The five-match series against England will begin on June 20.

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