Virat Kohli was being considered for the leadership of the Indian Test team, but Shubman Gill is likely to take the role.
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Shubman Gill Set to Succeed Rohit Sharma as India’s Test Captain, Kohli Overlooked
Virat Kohli was reportedly considered for a return as India’s Test captain following Rohit Sharma’s retirement and dismissal from the role. However, sources confirm that the selectors are likely to overlook Kohli in favor of Shubman Gill as the long-term captain of the team. According to a BCCI source, “It’s true that selectors thought about Kohli for the England series, which would have allowed Gill time to adjust to the leadership role. But at 25, Gill hasn’t yet reached his peak, and with Bumrah’s fitness issues, he seems the obvious choice for Ajit Agarkar’s committee.”
Additionally, Rishabh Pant is expected to be named vice-captain, partnering with Gill, with whom he shared a pivotal role in India’s famous Gabba victory in January 2021.
Although Gill’s Test career has had a mixed start, with an average of 35, he is set to be India’s long-term captain following his successful captaincy stint with Gujarat Titans in IPL 2024-2025 and his vice-captaincy during India’s ICC Champions Trophy triumph. Gill is expected to take charge at the beginning of the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, starting with a crucial five-match tour of England this summer.
‘There is no point offering him vice-captaincy…’
Sources revealed that Rishabh Pant will be appointed vice-captain ahead of incumbent vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah. Due to Bumrah’s ongoing fitness concerns and the likelihood that he won’t feature in every Test match, he has been dropped from the leadership group to focus on his bowling performances. “If Bumrah isn’t the captain, there’s no point offering him the vice-captaincy,” the source told PTI.
Pant, who has been one of the top batters in Test cricket since his debut in 2018, with an average of 42 and six centuries, remains a key figure in red-ball cricket despite his struggles in the IPL and as Lucknow Super Giants’ captain in 2025. At 27, his appointment alongside Shubman Gill signals a shift towards a younger leadership group, with the selection committee looking ahead to the long-term future, stepping away from the leadership of 38-year-old Rohit Sharma and 36-year-old Virat Kohli. A formal announcement is expected in the third week of May, when the BCCI will confirm the touring squad for England.
