India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will not serve as vice-captain in the upcoming first Test against Bangladesh, despite holding the position during the Test series against England earlier this year. This decision suggests a shift in the BCCI’s and team management’s approach to leadership roles.
Bumrah remains a key leader within the team, alongside KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli. However, the absence of a designated vice-captain for the Bangladesh series indicates that the BCCI may not envision Bumrah as a future captain. This could be due to the need to carefully manage his workload, as Bumrah has a history of injuries.
Bumrah has previously captained India in the rescheduled 2022 Test against England and the 2023 match against Ireland, where his leadership was praised. However, a captain’s consistent availability is crucial, and Bumrah’s injury history might hinder that.
With Gautam Gambhir now at the helm as head coach, India’s approach to vice-captaincy has shifted. Hardik Pandya was replaced by Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, and Shubman Gill has taken over the vice-captaincy duties in both ODIs and T20Is. This raises speculation about Gill’s potential role in Test cricket.
The first Test between India and Bangladesh is set to begin on September 19 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, followed by the second Test at Green Park Stadium in Kanpur from September 27.
