Shane Warne Names His Choice For India’s Next Test Captain: Following Virat Kohli’s sudden and unforeseen resignation as the Test captain, fans have been speculating about who will lead India in the next series, which is in February at home against Sri Lanka.
While Rohit Sharma, the Test vice-captain, is the front-runner to take the job, other names have emerged with decent possibilities, especially considering being a three-format captain could be a lot demanding on Sharma, who has had frequent fitness issues in the past, and is currently recovering from a hamstring injury.
Other names in contention are KL Rahul, who captained India in the Johannesburg Test and the ODI series, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rishabh Pant, who is considered as a future captain, and pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was the vice-captain in the ODI series.
As every expert is giving their opinion, champions Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne was also asked about his views. The legendary spinner started by removing Rishabh Pant from the contention. He believes that wicket-keepers shouldn’t be made captains.
Apart from the obvious choice of Rohit Sharma, Warne reckons Jasprit Bumrah could make a good captain as the speedster has shown his smart nous time and again with the ball.
“I do not believe a wicketkeeper (Rishabh Pant) should be a captain, I believe a wicketkeeper makes a good deputy, a good vice-captain. Looking at the Indian side, Jasprit Bumrah can make a good captain, Rohit Sharma can make a good captain,” Warne told ANI.
Warne, though, pondered whether Ajinkya Rahane could have been in captaincy talks if the batsman was in form. Rahane, who was removed from the vice-captaincy post before the South Africa tour, is on the verge of being dropped from the eleven.
Rahane led India in the historic 2020/21 series in Australia, winning two of the three Tests he captained in.
Warne reflected that Rohit Sharma has done an excellent job as white-ball captain for Mumbai Indians and India, and is sure that the opener will be India’s new Test captain.
“Rohit has done a good job in shorter formats, so he will be the favorite to lead the side. KL Rahul could do it, I would love to say Rahane but he has lost form, if Rahane was in form or he finds that form again then he can do it.
“He is a very good captain, India is lucky to have so many options but I think Rohit will get the captaincy,” Shane Warne concluded.
