"Don't Thrust Test Captaincy On Shubman Gill": BCCI Sent Warning By World Cup-Winner

As the next phase of Test cricket begins for India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has some big shoes to fill. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin are all gone, while some next generation stars have been given the improbable task of replacing some of the finest players the game has seen. For the captaincy responsibility in the longest format, Shubman Gill's name is on the top of the charts, though former India cricketer Kris Srikkanth doesn't think the top-order batter is the right choice.

Srikkanth, who won the 1983 World Cup with the Indian team, feels Gill isn't even a guaranteed starter in India's Test XI, hence can't be given the leadership role. For Srikkanth, marquee pacer Jasprit Bumrah should be given the captaincy baton by the management.

"Who's a ready-made captaincy candidate now? Shubman Gill? I don't think he is still a certainty in the XI," Srikkanth told India Today. "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.

"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 further said.

Srikkanth feels the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee is promoting Gill for the captaincy role 'just for the sake'. For him, it's important for the right-handed batter to first establish himself in the team by scoring runs in challenging conditions.

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