Leg and Off: Should India consider Jasprit Bumrah for a leadership role in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests?

As the IPL 2025 has entered the business end of the league stages, fans have started keeping an eye on India's next big assignment - the Test tour of England, starting June 20. Indian fans had a nightmarish final quarter of 2024, with the side suffering back-to-back Test series defeats to New Zealand and Australia.

However, amid the extended rough stretch was the lone shining light, Jasprit Bumrah, producing his customary bowling masterclasses. It had fans wondering if the 31-year-old would lead the side or at least play a prominent leadership role in the tour of England.

Yet, a recent report from the Indian Express stated that the Indian selectors are looking at different options as the vice-captain to skipper Rohit Sharma.

"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," said the source (via Indian Express).

With India's 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle set to begin with the England series, this decision on Bumrah comes across as massive news.

Is the decision to do away with Jasprit Bumrah in a leadership role justified? Let us deep dive into why India should and should not consider the ace pacer in a leadership role.

Why Jasprit Bumrah should be in a leadership role

India enjoyed their best moments in Australia with Jasprit Bumrah as captain [Credit: Getty]

The reasons supporting Bumrah being in some leadership role are aplenty. He was India's vice-captain in their most recent Test series in Australia, culminating only early this year.

Hence, the natural progression should be appointing Bumrah as the next captain if and when Rohit Sharma exits the fray. Until then, the champion seamer should undeniably be the vice-captain, having done nothing to get stripped of that role.

It was also easily visible how much India thrived when Bumrah took over captaincy down under in the first and the final Tests. With Rohit missing the series opener at Perth, Bumrah led the side admirably to a 295-run victory.

He also produced a Player of the Match performance with the ball while marshaling the troops in style. Bumrah took over as captain again when Rohit sat himself out for the final Test in Sydney.

Team India had Australia on the mat again with a four-run lead at the end of the first innings before Bumrah missed the remainder of the game with a back injury.

Hence, just out of hierarchical preferences and the team's recent performances under him, Bumrah must be the vice-captain of the Test side in England. Furthermore, none of the youngsters, barring Yashasvi Jaiswal, have cemented their places in the Indian Test side to get appointed in a long-term vice-captaincy role.

Why India are right in looking past Jasprit Bumrah in a leadership role

Rohit Sharma's Test career could end sooner than later [Credit: Getty]

As incredible as Jasprit Bumrah's performances have been for years, his durability sadly remains just as questionable. The 31-year-old has been missing in action all too often over the last three years due to his recurring back injuries.

With the importance of continuity being higher than ever, given Rohit's age and Test form, India can ill-afford frequent changes to their captaincy and vice-captaincy roles. Bumrah is unquestionably their most valuable commodity in this upcoming WTC cycle, making his presence in India's most important matches paramount.

It will mean resting the ace pacer selectively for a few Tests, starting with the England tour. Thus, having him as the vice-captain could lead to the occasional change to the role in Tests, as he misses games here and there due to workload management.

The Sydney Test served as a prime example when India were left searching for a leader as Rohit missed out from the XI, and Bumrah left the field halfway through the game with an injury. Virat Kohli had to return to the helm for the second innings, and the disconnect was apparent as India struggled to produce a fight in the final innings of the Test.

The recurrence of such situations will be a backward step for India, looking into the transition phase and the future. Thus, for continuity now and a viable option later once Rohit walks away, India are justified in appointing a younger and more reliable (durability-wise) option as vice-captain.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is safe to say that Jasprit Bumrah's appointment in a leadership role is the ultimate catch-22. The performances and natural progression point to the ace pacer being an obvious choice as vice-captain, if not even captain. However, his injury history and the importance of protecting him from long-term absences in the next couple of cycles make it just as correct for the management to look elsewhere for Rohit Sharma's deputy.

Furthermore, investing in a youngster in a leadership role now could pay long-term dividends in the future.

Verdict: Team India are right to look past Jasprit Bumrah for a leadership role in Tests