No Vice-Captaincy for Jasprit Bumrah in England as India Prioritise His Workload - Report

India’s premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, is unlikely to be offered a leadership role during the upcoming Test tour of England, starting June 20, as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) focuses on managing his workload and ensuring his long-term fitness. 

The decision comes in the wake of Bumrah’s intense workload, keeping his injury history in mind. He led India to a memorable victory in the first Test in Perth during the Australia tour and captained the side in the final Test in Sydney. 

However, concerns about Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness, particularly his back injury that forced him to miss the Champions Trophy 2025, have prompted the team management to adopt a cautious approach. 

As per a report by The Indian Express, the selectors are keen to appoint a vice-captain who can participate in all five Tests of the England series, a criterion Bumrah is unlikely to meet due to planned rest periods to preserve his physical condition.

"We want a player who will be available for all five Test matches and he should be given the vice-captain’s role. Bumrah won’t be playing all five matches, so we don’t want to appoint different deputies for different games. It will be better that the captain and vice-captain should be certain and play all five Tests," sources said as quoted to The Indian Express.

Bumrah’s injury concerns are not new. He missed nearly 11 months of cricket between September 2022 and August 2023 due to back surgery. Another back injury hit him during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, leading to his exclusion from the Champions Trophy 2025. He also missed a few Indian Premier League 2025 (IPL 2025) matches for Mumbai Indians (MI) and made his comeback in the middle of the season.

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Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant Likely Contenders For Vice-Captaincy Role 

The selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, and the team management are reportedly considering younger players for the vice-captaincy to groom future leaders. Shubman Gill, currently leading Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2025, and Rishabh Pant, captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), are among the frontrunners for the role. 

Both players, in their mid-20s, are seen as long-term prospects to take over leadership responsibilities as senior players like Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul approach the twilight of their careers.

As per a Times of India report, Gill is likely to be Rohit Sharma’s deputy in the upcoming Test series between India and England.

The England tour marks the beginning of the new ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, and India will be eager to start strongly after a challenging 1-3 loss in Australia. Team India has plummeted to fourth position in the ICC Test rankings and would aim to improve their record.

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