Was BCCI Planning To Appoint Virat Kohli As India Captain For England Tour?

The Indian selection committee did think of appointing Virat Kohli as captain for the challenging five-Test tour of England, starting on June 20, reported the PTI. After Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to make Shubman Gill India’s next Test skipper.

India’s ace paceman Jasprit Bumrah, who recently made his return from a back injury, wasn’t considered because of his history with injuries, and the team management doesn’t want to put extra workload on the seamer. It’s also highly unlikely that Bumrah will feature in all five Tests in England. 

Kohli, who is India’s most successful Test captain, last led them in red-ball cricket in January 2022. Gill will be India’s next Test captain, with wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to be his deputy.

“It is true that selectors did think about having Kohli as India skipper for the England series. This would have given Gill some time to grow into a leadership role, but at 25-and-a-half years of age, he is yet to hit his peak,” a BCCI source privy to the development told the PTI. 

“Due to Bumrah’s fitness issues, Gill looks like the obvious choice for Ajit Agarkar’s committee.”

There have been recent reports suggesting that Kohli has informed the BCCI that he wants to retire from Test cricket before the England tour. The top officials have asked him to reconsider, but the 36-year-old is not interested in prolonging his Test career.

Kohli has been underwhelming in Test cricket since 2024, having managed 440 runs in his last 21 innings at an average of 23.16.