When will India’s next Test Captain and Vice-Captain names be announced?

With the current Indian Test team captain Rohit Sharma having announced his retirement from the format, the BCCI will have to appoint a new Test captain and vice-captain ahead of the crucial England tour.

The Indian team’s opening batter and captain, Rohit Sharma, shocked the world with his sudden retirement announcement from Test cricket.

Rohit Sharma has been an integral part of the team, and his services will be duly missed during the England series. His successor will have a huge gap to fill.

The BCCI and the selection committee have a number of options to fill in the gap left by Rohit Sharma. However, according to reports, batsman Shubman Gill is currently leading the race to become the next captain of the Indian Test team.

According to various reports, even before Rohit’s retirement decision, the BCCI has been contemplating appointing a young and long-term captain, which many believe led to Rohit Sharma’s retirement.

Despite having options like Jasprit Bumrah, the BCCI has been said to prefer Shubman Gill all along. Meanwhile, not Jasprit Bumrah, but wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant is expected to be the vice-captain of the side.

When will the next India Test team captain and vice-captain names be announced?

It is believed that the selection committee, led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, will pick the Indian team squad for the upcoming England tour on May 23.

If all goes to plan, the BCCI and selection will declare the names of India’s Test team’s next captain and vice-captain on May 23 or May 24, a report by journalist Abhishek Tripathi states.

The report further adds that captaincy candidate Shubman Gill has already met with chief selector Ajit Agarkar and Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir to discuss about the future plans.

Shubman Gill, a former India U19 World Cup winner, made his Test cricket debut on 26 December 2020 vs Australia. He has since played a total of 32 Test matches in his career and has scored 1893 runs, averaging 35.0.

Meanwhile, likely vice-captain Rishabh Pant made his Test debut for India on 18 August 2018 vs England. He has been able to establish himself as one of India’s best batters in the format in recent times. In 43 Test matches, he has scored 2943 runs at an average of 42.1.