Bumrah to Gill: 5 players who could break Rohit Sharma's Test captaincy records

Rohit Sharma has announced his retirement from Test cricket. Discussions are ongoing about who will lead the Indian team after the Hitman. Let's take a look at five cricketers who have the potential to surpass Rohit Sharma's Test captaincy records.

Rohit Sharma's successors for Test captaincy

Cricket Records: Rohit Sharma provided excellent leadership to the Indian Test team in a very short period. Under his captaincy, India reached the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the second time in a row and also led the side to Test series win against Sri Lanka, Australia, England, and Bangladesh at home.

Despite the series draw with South Africa, Rohit Sharma made his mark with his captaincy. He led India in 24 matches, winning 12, losing 9 and drawing 3 games. However, let's now see who are the five Indian players on the list who can surpass his records in the coming years.

1. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah, the main face of Indian pace bowling, has already led three Test matches. Bumrah, who took over the leadership responsibilities when Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were not available in several matches, is playing a key role as the team leader. Bumrah's first Test win as a captain came in the Perth opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy when Rohit was on paternity leave. If physically fit, he has the potential to surpass Rohit's captaincy records. Though the reports suggest that Bumrah opted to captaincy race, he is still one of the favourites to lead India in Tests.

2. Shubman Gill

Primarily considered a future Test captain, Gill is likely to lead the team in the upcoming five-Test series against England. He has the ability to serve the team for 8-10 years. Gill can take a step forward with the goal of leading the team to the 2027 WTC final. Shubman Gill has impressive captaincy credentials under his belt, having led Punjab across all age levels, including senior team in domestic cricket and is currently leading Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025. GT are currently on the verge of making it to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.

3. Rishabh Pant

Pant, who made his debut in 2018, is doing wonders with the bat and wicket-keeping. He captained the five-match T20 series against South Africa in 2022. His age, experience, playing style, wicket-keeping, and many other factors keep Rishabh Pant in the captaincy race. If he becomes the captain of the Indian Test team, Pant has a chance to break Rohit's captaincy records. Just like Shubman Gill, Pant also has captaincy credentials under his belt, having Delhi in domestic cricket, Delhi Capitals and now leading Lucknow Super Giants in IPL.

4. KL Rahul

Rahul, who made his captaincy debut against South Africa in 2022, has led three Test matches so far. This includes two wins against Bangladesh. With batting experience, wicket-keeping ability, and leadership skills, he is a strong contender. If Rahul becomes the captain, there is a chance that Rohit's captaincy records will be surpassed. KL Rahul is one of the strong contenders, alongside Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Jasprit Bumrah to take up captaincy duties. 

5. Shreyas Iyer

Although not currently in the Test team, Shreyas may return to the team for the Test series against England in June. Shreyas, who led the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third title in the IPL, has the opportunity to take over the captaincy when senior players are unavailable. Along with his excellent batting in the current IPL season, he is leading the Punjab Kings team with his unique captaincy. Last year, Shreyas Iyer led Mumbai to Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.