Jasprit Bumrah reveals Shubman Gill wasn't India's first-choice Test captain

India National Cricket Team premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah has made a massive revelation on the Test captaincy of the Indian team following the retirement of Rohit Sharma.

Jasprit Bumrah claimed that Shubman Gill was not India's first-choice Test captain. In fact, it was him, but he rejected the top job in Indian cricket because of workload issues.

BCCI selected Shubman Gill as Rohit Sharma's successor

In May, a month before the Test series against the England National Cricket Team, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket via social media, opening up the captaincy spot in the Test team.

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Rohit's decision followed a period of lean patch and the poor run of the India National Cricket Team in Test cricket, where they suffered an embarrassing whitewash at home against New Zealand and lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a decade.

Days after Rohit, Virat Kohli also announced his retirement from Test cricket, leaving a big void in the Indian team. In the absence of the veteran duo, the BCCI selection committee went on a search for an able leader, and the names of Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant were floated as the top contenders.

Many experts back Jasprit Bumrah to be Rohit Sharma's successor as Test captain because he had served as his deputy in the red-ball format, but the BCCI took a different route.

Shubman Gill, who is still finding his feet in Test cricket, was chosen as the new captain, and the star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was appointed as the vice-captain.

BCCI was looking at me for the leadership: Jasprit Bumrah

Speaking to Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, Jasprit Bumrah confirmed the reports of him rejecting the Test captaincy. He said that the medical team advised him to be smarter while managing his back and cleared him only for three Test matches.

Jasprit Bumrah added that the BCCI was looking at him as the Test captain, but he had to reject the role because he wouldn't have been able to play all 5 matches. He elaborated:

"Before Rohit and Virat retired during the IPL, I had spoken to the BCCI about my workloads going forward in a five-test match series. I've spoken to the people who have managed my back. I've spoken to the surgeon as well, who's always spoken to me about how smart you have to be about the workloads.

"So I did speak to him, and then we came to the conclusion that I have to be a little smarter. So then I called the BCCI and said I don't want to be looked at in a leadership role because I won't be able to give all the Test matches in a five-test match series," Bumrah said.

"Yes, the BCCI was looking at me for leadership. But then I had to say, no, that it's not fair for the team as well, that, you know, a five-Test match series, three matches, somebody else is leading, two matches, somebody else is leading. It's not fair to the team. And I always wanted to put the team first," he added.

Nothing changes - Jasprit Bumrah on his preparation ahead of facing Bazballing England

During the same interaction, Jasprit Bumrah discussed his preparation ahead of facing the Bazballing Team England. He said that he has not made any changes to his preparations and is following the same process that has worked for him. Jasprit Bumrah stated:

"Nothing changes. For me, in any tournament, in any situation that I go, I look at myself. So now I've got a lot more experience. I've come here many times. I know there's an aggressive style to how they play, but I play a lot of white-ball cricket. I understand how an aggressive style goes, but I look at myself."

"How do I prepare myself? What is my mindset? Whenever I'm getting ready for a Test series, whenever I've done well, what was I thinking? What was my mental space? So I look at that. When I tick all of those boxes and I go to the ground, I give myself the best chance that I prepared to the best of my ability. Now I'll leave it how it is.

"Now I'll enjoy the game. I'll give it my best shot. Some days it will go well, some days it will not go well, but as preparation point of view, that's what I look."

Also Read: Jos Buttler declares Jasprit Bumrah as India’s biggest superstar