Mohammed Kaif doesn’t want Jasprit Bumrah to be India’s Test captain, wants selectors to back either KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant

Former Indian batter Mohammed Kaif doesn’t want Jasprit Bumrah to be India’s next Test captain due to injury and workload management concerns. Bumrah recently India in two Test matches against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar trophy.

In Rohit Sharma’s absence, Bumrah led from the front in the opening Test, leading India to a gargantuan win of 295 runs at Perth. After Rohit decided to opt out because of poor form, Bumrah once again led in the fifth Test at the SCG. However, Bumrah could not bowl in the second innings due to a back injury

Kaif believes either KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant should be given the Test captaincy after Rohit Sharma.

Kaif said in a video on X, “So, I think Bumrah shouldn’t be the captain. When you go to England after six months and you make a team around him and in the third Test, he gets injured then who will do captaincy? If Rohit Sharma is not there then this option is not right. I think a batsman should become captain, whether it’s Rishabh Pant or KL Rahul. Pant is getting mature with IPL and KL has done it in the past. So, I think there can be one of them.”

“There will always be injury issues with Bumrah because he plays all the formats. Why he didn’t become T20 captain, it’s because the selectors said that they would rest him in the middle in series like Sri Lanka or small bilateral tournaments. He needs rest and rehab. Physio has already said that his workload should be managed. He only needs to bowl and by doing just that, we will become a champion team if you do your work well,” he added.

Kaif highlighted that Bumrah will face injury woes in his career because of his action and thus he won’t be the right choice for captaincy.

“Why there is an injury, it has happened to him in the past as well. If you remember, he didn’t play in the Mumbai Test against New Zealand. WTC points were on the line there as well but he was told to take rest and recover. There will be fitness issues in his career, the way he bowls, takes just four walks and it’s not easy to bowl at 145 or 150 kmph.”

The Natwest trophy hero observed there is no impetus in Bumrah’s run-up and thus he is prone to injuries.

“There is no momentum in his run-up. In the end, he pushes in the runup and the back takes a huge load that he will be injury prone in his career. That’s why Rohit Sharma gives him three or four overs. Rohit Sharma knew that a longer spell of seven or eight overs would’ve affected his longevity in the Test series. He would get injured, it’s all because of his bowling action.”

Bumrah will look to make a solid comeback after recovering from back injury.