"Give him some time" - Indian legend on prospect of Jasprit Bumrah as next Test captain

Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev believes Jasprit Bumrah must be given some time to prove himself as a leader in Test cricket. The latter led India in two of the five Tests in Australia during the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The visitors won the first Test in Perth by 295 runs as Bumrah captained the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who stayed back in India for the birth of his second child. The fast bowler led from the front, claiming eight wickets, as India took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Bumrah again led India in the last Test in Sydney after Rohit decided to sit out due to poor batting form.

During an event hosted by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) - of which he is the president - in Delhi, Kapil answered several pertinent questions related to Indian cricket. Asked if Bumrah must get a longer run as captain, he replied (as quoted by news agency PTI):

"If he has been given the opportunity (to captain India in Tests), then give him some time also."

The former India captain also backed Rohit and Virat Kohli to take the right call as far as their retirement is concerned. There have been question marks over the future of the veteran cricketers after both struggled in the Test series in Australia. Asked if they should be picked for the Test series in England, Kapil replied:

"They are very big players. Let's hope when they think it's the right time to play, when they think it's not, they will call it off."

The 66-year-old Indian cricket legend also refused to criticize the selectors over their decision of not picking in-form players Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant for the five-match T20I series at home against England. He commented:

"How can I comment on the judgment of others? I think the selectors would have thought about it. So, if I say something it would be criticizing them. I don't want to criticize them. They (selectors) are a group of people who must have planned and thought about that."

The Indian selectors recently announced the squad for the five-match T20I series against England. Suryakumar Yadav has been retained as captain, while all-rounder Axar Patel has been named as vice-captain.

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Jasprit Bumrah could miss group stage matches of 2025 Champions Trophy: Reports

With concerns over lead pacer Bumrah's fitness, Team India are yet to announce their squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. According to a report in The Indian Express, the fast bowler is likely to miss the group stage of the tournament due to swelling on his back. The report added that the bowler has been asked to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where his recovery will be monitored.

Bumrah was the standout performer for Team India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He claimed 32 wickets in five Tests at an average of 13.06 and was named Player of the Series for his stupendous effort.