Leg and Off: Should India consider Ravindra Jadeja for a leadership role ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests?

Team India are on the lookout for their next Test captain after Rohit Sharma's retirement ahead of the England tour. Early reports have outlined Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah as the potential candidates to take over the leadership duties.

However, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin urged the team management to think outside the box, and also consider veteran spinner Ravindra Jadeja as well.

"First of all, everyone is saying that Gill is the captain. Everyone is going in that direction. But there is a loud option in Jasprit Bumrah, and why do we forget about Ravindra Jadeja. If you are willing to go for a new person as captain, I would say why not make him [Gill] an understudy of an experienced guy for two years before handing him the job on a full-time basis," Ashwin said during a chat with former Tamil Nadu opener Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan on his YouTube channel (via ESPN Cricinfo).

On that note, let us take a look at the potential pros and cons of appointing Ravindra Jadeja as the next Team India Test captain.

#1 Ravindra Jadeja does not strike as a 'leader' upfront

History has taught us that experience does not always equate to captaincy and leadership. By that logic, Ashwin himself should have been in the leadership conversation, at least as a deputy, but it never came to fruition.

Similarly, Jadeja does have experience and command over his craft, but that does not directly correlate or make him natural, standout captaincy option in the time of transition.

He has led Suarashtra on select occasions, and was the vice-captain of the Team India at the 2008 U-19 World Cup. In recent times, he was appointed the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain as part of their transition plan in 2022. But, it crashed and burned inside the first half of the season itself after just two wins out of eight matches.

There is a reason why CSK did not turn to Jadeja the second time around when MS Dhoni stepped down ahead of the 2024 season, and went for Ruturaj Gaikwad instead.

Even when the squads for the 2024 Duleep Trophy were announced, Ravindra Jadeja was part of the India B setup, and was by far the most senior and high-profile member of that side, but it was Abhimanyu Easwaran who was named captain. The spin bowling all-rounder did not feature in the tournament anyways, but the fact remains.

In the same domestic campaign, Shubman Gill led India A, who went on to win the competition.

#2 Appointing someone who has never been in the leadership scheme of things sends the wrong message

The state Indian Test cricket is in, there is no room for half-measures. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli not around anymore, it is clear that India have to take the plunge and not just dip their toes in the water, no matter how uncomfortable or unfamiliar it seems.

Gill's apparent appointment comes with a lot of uncertainty, but it is a gamble India have to take for the sake of the future. Given that the path to the transition is more or less wide open now, India cannot prevent or delay it by having someone like Ravindra Jadeja as captain, who has not been given a thought until an ex-player suggested it.

Better to keep Jadeja as someone who assists Gill as he takes his first step in captaincy, rather than someone at the helm, and as the face of the team. The departures of Sharma and Kohli mean that there is a 'leadership vacuum', aptly coined by R Ashwin, and Jadeja is one of the candidates who has to step up in this area.

It is up to the likes of Jadeja, KL Rahul, and Bumrah, to assist Shubman Gill as he takes on a challenging next step in his career.

The decision to appoint Gill may or may not pay off, but it sends a very strong message that India are willing to usher into a new era in an unfazed manner. Appointing someone like Jadeja, and tagging along Gill as a deputy for a while will suggest that there is still a lot of tentativeness and a severe lack of clarity and trust in the new generation.

#3 Ravindra Jadeja's experience and credibility as a member of the playing XI cannot be dismissed entirely

A major complaint with Gill's potential appointment as Test captain is the fact that he is yet to cement his place in the playing XI. One glance at his records would lead one to suggest that this is a legitimate concern.

The other candidate, apart from Gill, is Jasprit Bumrah, and although prowess is not a factor here at all, the issue stems from workload management. Australia have managed to make it work with Pat Cummins, because they have the luxury of having a proven leader like Steve Smith waiting to take over as and when required.

With Ravindra Jadeja both those issues are not relevant. The all-rounder is a guaranteed presence in the playing XI home and away, and his records as a players speaks for itself. He is someone who commands respect in the dressing room, given that he is now the most senior member after having made his debut in 2012.

#4 Entrusting captaincy responsibility on Gill when he is trying to shape his career as batter is a bit unfair on him

Every player welcomes a leadership opportunity, which is why there is no way that Gill would turn down a chance to be India's next Test captain. Setting aside his lack of leadership experience aside, the precarious manner his career is placed at the moment is a bigger concern.

A lot of Team India's recent overseas success has come when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have contributed with the bat. With the pair gone, India needs those runs from somewhere, which is where Gill comes in. He is not a newcomer anymore, and has to lead with the bat from the front rather than playing the support act.

Given how important Shubman Gill - the batter is to the new-age Indian side, handing the leadership duties to him at a stage where he is figuring out his own batting and trying to build temperament and consistency, might prove to be too much pressure on him.

In such a scenario, where Gill is not a viable option given how much captaincy could impact his already shaky batting credentials, and Bumrah's workload is an equal concern, Jadeja is arguably the next in line, when it comes to the pecking order.