3 Captaincy options for India to replace Rohit Sharma in rescheduled fifth Test against England

India’s star opening batter and the captain of the Indian Cricket Team in all three formats Rohit Sharma tested positive for COVID-19 following a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted on Saturday 25th of June 2022. The Indian skipper is doubtful for the rescheduled Test match between India and England commencing from July 1 at Edgbaston.

The Mumbai cricketer was named the captain of the Indian Test team after the decision of Virat Kohli to step down as skipper in January 2022. He is new as far as the Test captaincy is concerned but he holds a lot of experience captaining in IPL and leading India in white-ball cricket. The absence of Rohit will be a big loss for India in the forthcoming Test match.

Now, the team management will have to make a big call naming the captain of India for this Test match. India have some great and a few decent options to give the responsibility. The Test match will be very crucial for both sides. The visitors have a lead of 2-1 in the five-match series and have an excellent opportunity to win a Test series in England for the first time since 2007.

Here we bring you 3 captaincy options for India for the Test match against England:

1. Virat Kohli

The former Test skipper is the most successful captain in Test cricket for India. He is an ideal option to take over the reins, albeit for a brief period. The team management might think of requesting him to lead India in this Test match as he is the best option available for them. He holds a lot of experience of playing the highest level of cricket.

Virat Kohli is the poster boy of cricket all over the globe. He has led India in 68 Test matches winning 40 of them. History clearly tells that Virat Kohli’s batting numbers are extraordinary when he plays as a captain. He has scored 20 centuries as captain in Test matches and the numbers are unbelievable.

Virat Kohli is the most experienced Indian cricketer among the active players. He has played 101 Tests for India scoring 8043 runs at an average of 50. He has scored 27 Test hundreds for India including seven double hundreds. He becomes a threat to the opponents when he takes the field. Moreover, he led India in the first four Tests of this series and will only be fitting if he leads the team in the final Test.

2. Rishabh Pant

The Indian wicket-keeper batter is considered the future captain of the Indian cricket team. Rishabh Pant is the first-choice wicket-keeper for India in all three formats. Despite having the age of barely 24, he has become an integral member of the Indian cricket team. He has proved to be a match-winner and is also a great option for the captaincy role.

The southpaw is a talented cricketer and has played some amazing innings for India in Test cricket. Rishabh has impressed everyone with his captaincy skills in IPL. He has been captaining Delhi Capitals for the last couple of seasons and has done decently well and also led India in the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa at home.

The Delhi cricketer has played 30 Test matches for India scoring 1920 runs at an impressive average of 40.85. He has scored hundreds in England, Australia, and South Africa which are the most difficult countries to bat in the longest format of the game. Though he doesn’t have an experience to lead a team in Tests, with experienced players like Kohli there to guide, Pant is not a bad option at all.

3. Jasprit Bumrah

The leader of the Indian pace attack in all three formats, Jasprit Bumrah can also prove to be a great leader. He is an experienced bowler and has been playing for India for 6-7 years. He is an integral part of the team and can be considered for captaincy in the Edgbaston Test.

Bumrah is a part of the leadership group of the team and he looks very involved when he is on the field. He has been one of India’s best match-winners for the last few years and has shifted the momentum of so many games towards the team through his breathtaking spells.

The 28-year-old has played 29 Test matches for India picking 123 wickets at an average of 21.73. He is rated very highly by the former international cricketers and is a crucial cog in the wheel of the team. It will be interesting to see how he fares if the management decides to go with him as the captain.