"He should be in the conversation" - Ravichandran Ashwin names surprise choice for India's Test captain ahead of England series

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested that Ravindra Jadeja can be considered to lead India in Test cricket. The 38-year-old said that Jadeja was the most experienced player in the side, following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket.

Jadeja debuted for India in Test cricket in December 2012 and has played 80 Tests with 3370 runs and four hundreds. He has also taken 323 wickets at an average of 24.14.

“Let’s not forget, Jadeja is the most experienced player in the team. He should be in the conversation,” Ashwin said on his "Ash ki baat" YouTube channel on Thursday, May 15 (via Times of India).

The 38-year-old also hoped that Gujarat Titans (GT) progressed to the IPL 2025 Playoffs as that could make the captaincy transition easier for Shubman Gill. Ashwin also felt that a captain needed to be aware about the ongoings in domestic cricket.

“I hope Gujarat Titans qualify for the IPL playoffs. If Gill gains honour there, it might make his transition to leadership easier. But captaincy, especially in Tests, is not about one good season. A leader should know what’s happening in first-class cricket too,” Ashwin said.

Ravichandran Ashwin backs Jasprit Bumrah as India's next Test captain

Ravichandran Ashwin backed Jasprit Bumrah to take over from Rohit Sharma as India's next Test captain. The 38-year-old said that despite Bumrah's injury-prone track record, he would be disappointed if the pacer did not get to lead the country.

“Bumrah has had one major surgery. I’ll be very surprised if he plays all five Tests in a series. He needs to be given breaks to recover. Still, I’ll be very disappointed if he never gets to captain," Ashwin said.

India begin their new World Test Championship cycle with a five-match series against England in Leeds on June 20. They have lost six of their last ten 10 Tests, that included a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand at home.