3 unorthodox options to take over from Rohit Sharma as India's Test captain

Team India are at a crossroads in all three formats, particularly in Test cricket. Having lost successive World Test Championship (WTC) finals, they will embark on the 2023-25 cycle intent on righting their wrongs.

Unfortunately, with several players on the wrong side of 30, India will also need to think about their long-term plans. The likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli won't be around forever. Even captain Rohit Sharma has seen some questions raised regarding his place in the side.

Rohit has struggled for fitness since taking over from Kohli and has missed quite a few important assignments for the national red-ball side. The 36-year-old is no spring chicken, and it's high time India start looking for someone who can seamlessly take over the reins.

KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah, who have led the Test team before, are the obvious options. Kohli, who skippered the side admirably, is always in the reckoning, assuming he is open to taking up the job once again.

There are other unconventional routes they can take, though. Here are three unorthodox options to take over from Rohit Sharma as India's Test captain.

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#3 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer has struggled with injuries, but is a solid middle-order batter

Shreyas Iyer is currently on the sidelines as he recovers from a back injury. Before he lost fitness, he was on the verge of becoming a Test regular.

Shreyas had a prolific 2022 in all three formats. He played five Tests, scoring 422 runs at an average of 60.29 and a strike rate of 68.84. The middle-order batter made runs in challenging conditions in India and Bangladesh, although it was clear that his overseas batting needed work.

That's still the case. Shreyas is not an established member of the Test side, making his candidature to take over from Rohit fraught with risk. The 28-year-old needs to become a reliable performer away from home before he can be handed the responsibility.

However, there's no doubting the fact that Shreyas is a capable leader who has proven his ability in the past. India don't have many clear-cut, tried-and-tested options to man the middle order in the upcoming era, and he might be their best bet.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the more experienced options to take over the captaincy

Ravichandran Ashwin? The man who didn't even make the playing XI in the 2023 WTC final? It might seem strange, but isn't it time to admit that the off-spinner should be part of any Test playing XI going forward?

Ashwin's overseas bowling was distinctly sub-par for quite a few years, but he seems to have crossed that hurdle. India's away assignments in the 2023-25 WTC cycle will be in Australia, West Indies and South Africa, and he could have a big role to play on all three tours.

Ashwin's batting and thinking mind only sweeten the pot. And for someone who isn't the quickest on the field, he hasn't had many issues with fitness in the longest format.

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#1 Rishabh Pant

The Men in Blue desperately need Rishabh Pant to return to the fold soon

There's a big asterisk next to this choice, and rightfully so. Assuming Rishabh Pant makes a full recovery from the injuries he sustained during a horrific car crash, he will be one of the frontrunners to take over the Test reins from Rohit.

Pant is arguably India's best Test batter, and the ICC rankings reflect the same even though it's been ages since he was seen in action in the format. The wicket-keeper has come up with odds-defying contributions both home and away and has always seemed to be involved in the decision-making.

Pant's maverick nature and leadership in the Indian Premier League might suggest that he's not cut out for the role, but he's definitely one name that can't be overlooked. Excitement will be guaranteed if the dashing young southpaw is at the helm of the Indian Test side.