Rishabh Pant Poised to Become India's New Vice-Captain in Test Cricket

Rishabh Pant's Ascendancy in Indian Test Cricket

Dynamic wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is likely to be appointed as India's vice-captain for Test matches, with the promising Shubman Gill expected to lead the national team in this traditional format.

The decision to select Pant as vice-captain appears straightforward, given his status as one of India's top Test batsmen in challenging overseas conditions. Jasprit Bumrah is not a viable candidate for the role due to his fitness concerns and overall stature.

With an impressive average exceeding 42, including centuries in Australia, England, and South Africa, along with seven scores in the 90s, Pant stands out as one of the premier batsmen in Test cricket.

A source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) remarked, 'If Bumrah isn’t the captain, then offering him the vice-captaincy makes little sense.'

The cricket community has been surprised by Virat Kohli's potential retirement from Test cricket. However, it has come to light that the selection committee considered appointing him as captain for the England series to give Gill more time to develop.

Currently, Kohli has not made any formal announcement regarding his retirement, and it is anticipated that he will be asked to participate in the upcoming five-match Test series in England, as his experience will be crucial in tough conditions, especially following Rohit Sharma's retirement from Test cricket.

The BCCI has remained tight-lipped about discussions with Kohli concerning his Test career. Attempts to reach out to Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of selectors, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia have not yielded any responses.

A BCCI insider confirmed, 'Selectors did consider Kohli for the captaincy in the England series, which would have allowed Gill to ease into the leadership role. However, at just over 25 years old, Gill has yet to reach his peak. Given Bumrah's fitness issues, Gill seems to be the most logical choice for Ajit Agarkar's committee.'

KL Rahul is not being considered for the vice-captaincy due to his age of over 33 and ongoing consistency issues, despite being one of the standout performers in Australia.

With an average below 35 after 50 Test matches over 11 years, his performance has not been impressive.

The Indian squad for the England tour is expected to be announced in the third week of May, while the India A team will be revealed early next week.

Among the newcomers for the Test tour, Tamil Nadu's Sai Sudharsan has made a significant impression and is likely to either open the batting or come in at No. 3.