“I think Bumrah shouldn’t be the captain” - Former batter opens up on India’s Test captaincy options post BGT 2024-25

Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif believes Team India need a new Test captain for the next ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, which starts with the England tour later this year. The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that Jasprit Bumrah should no longer lead the side owing to his injury concerns. Notably, Bumrah had to leave the field after bowling just 10 overs due to an injury in the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney.

Kaif wants the pacer to only stick to his bowling despite his brilliance in the first Test against the Aussies in Perth, where he led the tourists to a 295-run victory. He reckons that India should appoint a new Test captain in Rishabh Pant or someone like KL Rahul, who has previously led India in the red-ball format.

On Wednesday (January 8), the 44-year-old said in a video posted on X:

“So, I think Bumrah shouldn’t be the captain. When you go to England after six months and you make a team around him and in the third Test, he gets injured then who will do captaincy? If Rohit Sharma is not there then this option is not right. I think a batsman should become captain, whether it’s Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul. Pant is getting mature with IPL and KL has done it in the past. So, I think there can be one of them.”

“There will always be injury issues with Bumrah because he plays all the formats. Why he didn’t become T20 captain, it’s because the selectors said that they would rest him in the middle in series like Sri Lanka or small bilateral tournaments. He needs rest and rehab. Physio has already said that his workload should be managed. He only needs to bowl and by doing just that, we will become a champion team if you do your work well,” he added.

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“There will be fitness issues in his career, the way he bowls” – Mohammad Kaif on why Jasprit Bumrah shouldn't lead India

Mohammad Kaif further explained why Jasprit Bumrah is injury-prone. He pointed out how the Indian pacer is different from former greats like Shoaib Akhtar, Brett Lee, Dale Steyn, or Glenn McGrath.

The cricketer-turned-commentator said during the same interaction:

“Why there is an injury, it has happened to him in the past as well. If you remember, he didn’t play in the Mumbai Test against New Zealand. WTC points were on the line there as well but he was told to take rest and recover. There will be fitness issues in his career, the way he bowls, takes just four walks and it’s not easy to bowl at 145 or 150 kmph."

Kaif continued:

"There is no momentum in his run-up. In the end, he pushes in the runup and the back takes a huge load that he will be injury prone in his career. That’s why Rohit Sharma gives him three or four overs. Rohit Sharma knew that a longer spell of seven or eight overs would’ve affected his longevity in the Test series. He would get injured, it’s all because of his bowling action."

"There was Akhter, Mcgrath, Brett Lee, Steyn, [but] they used to run at least 30 yards. Their body momentum used to generate pacer but Bumrah’s doesn’t take a long runup,” he added.

Team India will now hope that Jasprit Bumrah recovers ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which will be played in February and March.