"Can clearly play the entire cycle" - Former batting coach's surprise option to succeed Rohit Sharma as Test captain ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has named KL Rahul as a legitimate candidate for the red-ball captaincy role amid uncertainty surrounding the appointment between Jasprit Bumrah and Shubman Gill. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are searching for a new leader ahead of the England tour following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format.

Jasprit Bumrah has some leadership experience, having led India in three Tests so far, but his workload management has raised a serious issue. Shubman Gill, the other potential candidate, has been groomed for a leadership role for a while, but his credentials as a batter paint him as a rather unconvincing choice in the eyes of many.

Recently, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin brought up all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as a left-field option for the role considering his prowess and experience.

Sanjay Bangar overlooked the aforementioned three names to make a case for KL Rahul instead.

"He's been a proven test batter, a lot of important runs at the top of the order for India. So he would play all the Test matches, and most of his hundreds or big scores have come in overseas matches. So there is no question mark on his ability in any conditions, for that matter. And he is young, he is not that old either. So when you are looking at a WTC cycle, it is a two-year cycle. I think Rahul at the moment is 31, 32. He can clearly play the entire cycle," Bangar said on ESPN Cricinfo (via Hindustan Times).

KL Rahul was once Team India's vice-captain in the longer formats of the game. He led India in three Tests in total, during the tour of South Africa and Bangladesh in 2022. He has also captained the Men in Blue in 12 ODIs and a solitary T20I fixture as well.

"We are looking at a player who is guaranteed a place in the playing XI" - Sanjay Bangar on workload and form playing into the India captaincy debate

Team India faced a similar predicament after Rohit Sharma announced his T20I retirement after the World Cup win in 2024. The majority expected Hardik Pandya, who had led India on a regular basis after the 2022 T20 World Cup, to be named as the successor. However, the role eventually went to Suryakumar Yadav.

"The yardstick which was taken for Hardik Pandya when Suryakumar was named T20I captain...the reasoning there was that Hardik has fitness issues, he may not be available. Hence, we are looking at a player who is guaranteed a place in the playing XI. That's how Surya was elevated to the T20I captaincy. Now, if we equate that thought process with Test captaincy as well, on that basis, Jasprit may have to miss out," Bangar elaborated.

Team India will announce the decision regarding the next Test captain towards the end of the month, along with the rest of the squad for the England tour.