Leadership Changes in Indian Cricket: Ashwin Discusses Bumrah's Captaincy Potential

Impact of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's Retirement

The recent retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have undoubtedly left a significant gap in the Indian cricket leadership. In this context, Jasprit Bumrah emerges as a strong candidate for the captaincy; however, his ongoing injury issues pose a challenge for the selectors. Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared his thoughts on this topic during a discussion on his YouTube channel, "Ash ki Baat." While he emphasized the importance of experience, he acknowledged Bumrah's injury concerns.

"The team that will tour England will be a completely new team, a transformed team where Bumrah will probably be the senior-most player. He is obviously one of the captaincy options; I think he deserves the captaincy, but the selectors will take a decision based on his physical capacity. Their retirements will definitely create a leadership vacuum. You can't buy experience, especially on tours like this. Virat's energy and Rohit's composure will be missed."

Ashwin Reflects on Kohli's and Rohit's Timing of Retirement

Ashwin, who retired during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, was surprised that this series marked the end of both Rohit Sharma's and Virat Kohli's Test careers. He expressed,

"I didn't have an idea both [Rohit and Kohli] would retire together."

He believes Kohli had the potential to continue playing for another year or two, while Rohit could have extended his career until the England series. Ashwin stated,

"There will be a sense of fulfilment, but I honestly feel Kohli definitely had one or two years of Test cricket left in him. Rohit, I felt would at least go on till the England Test series, because there's a leadership vacuum in the team. Tests have been the finest [format for India] in the last 10-12 years, but just for the sake of leadership, Rohit should've played till the England series, and if he'd performed, he could've carried on and given some more leadership."

Additionally, Ashwin noted that Rohit's best performances were during the 2021 England tour, particularly alongside KL Rahul. He regarded Rohit’s peak period as spanning from 2018 to 2023. Regarding Kohli, Ashwin highlighted the twin centuries in Adelaide in 2014 as among the finest displays he had witnessed, asserting that Kohli was a true ambassador for Test cricket, showcasing remarkable innings even in challenging defeats.