Come on, elevate Rishabh Pant to leadership role in Test cricket

The air of uncertainty over Jasprit Bumrah continues. Is his back injury manageable or is the forced absence from cricket going to be a long one? Even as former cricketers have come out with their versions if Bumrah should be the next Test captain or not, one young man is being ignored --- Rishabh Pant. As the hero returned to New Delhi today, he was greeted by curious onlookers.

Having lost the BGT Series in Sydney, Pant looked unhappy. A motivated cricketer like him who puts in so much effort does not like to be on the losing side. But the surprise bit is, Pant, who was once Test vice-captain is not in the leadership race now. That is a course correction the BCCI has to make. Everyone knows, when it comes to being cheeky as well as smart, Pant has imbibed much from his Guru, MS Dhoni.

Today, Pant is a big brand. Crores ride on him. He does not depend on a marketing firm to ensure he can rake in more money. Now, Pant, himself has hired a few men to ensure his brand value can shoot up. That is the financial angle. Looking at his cricket acumen, he needs to be promoted. It may be embarrassing not to give the Test captaincy to Bumrah for the series in England this summer. That, of course, is subject to what amount of workload Bumrah can shoulder. Certainly, he loves to lead India. It was sad, his back gave away in the Sydney climax.

Surely, Pant can be a good vice-captain to Bumrah. Assuming that Bumrah should also ensure there is workload management, he can be in and out of the Test side during which phase Pant can lead. This is a strategic decision which must be made. For those who think Shubman Gill is one for the future, his own batting is in doldrums. Runs have dried up and no way is he a certainty as a pick for the 11. Add to it the suspense over his leadership role even for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, Gill gets ruled out.

Now it is more or less certain, Pant will be the Lucknow Super Giants captain in this year’s IPL. He has a knack and feel for captaincy, having led the Delhi Capitals. In fact, IPL 2024 was Pant’s fairytale comeback after the horrific car crash in December 2022 near Dehradun. How he bounced back is as miraculous as clay court expert in tennis Horst Skoff returning from a horrific car crash many years ago, where he needed a massive knee reconstruction. Pant had put on weight, but the way he has worked on fitness and agility has been mind boggling. Even those who had watched him return last year were doubtful if he could shoulder the load and withstand the pressure.

The more one has watched Pant in 2024 and 2025 in the ICC T20 World Cup and the BGT Series, he has been in good touch. His batting in Sydney was defining. If he took blows in the first innings and scored 40, the way he hammered the Aussie attack out of the firing line in the second innings was sublime. And as a wicket-keeper, Pant has been safe hands. As one who constantly chatters, the energy he brings on the field is a delight. He motivates bowlers, needles batters at the crease and does not mind cracking jokes. This is where Pant’s persona is unique, a total, team guy and a guy ready to take blows like a heavyweight boxer.

For those who are talking about transition in Indian cricket and who all need to go out, the most important aspect is change of hands in leadership and developing the second line. In coach Gautam Gambhir and legend Virat Kohli, Pant has two men who can help him blossom even further. How the BCCI think-tank identifies this will be watched each day. If Pant is an investment, then the IPL auction showed he is the Rockstar of Indian cricket.  Sometimes, it is important to identify the leadership skill and groom. Rishabh Pant is at that stage. Who will see this creative talent in him at the earliest is the vital point. Hopefully, chairman of the BCCI selection committee Ajit Agarkar would have observed Pant a lot in Australia during the entire tour.