The Indian cricket team will kickstart a massive transition in Test cricket from the England series after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the longest format of the game on Wednesday (May 7) ending major speculation over his captaincy future post the series defeats to New Zealand and Australia.

India will head into a marquee five-match Test series against England starting from June 20 with a new captain. The assignment against the Ben Stokes-led side will also kickstart the 2025-27 World Test Championship (WTC), giving the new captain the perfect platform to start his tenure.

While the timing might be right, it is not as easy for the Indian to move past Rohit as easily for the Indian team as the Indian team have a 'leadership vacuum' as stated by Ravichandran Ashwin earlier this year.

As Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar, and the BCCI face a tricky choice, here is a look at the four big choice and what works against them.

Shubman Gill: Early media reports indicate that Shubman Gill is the favourite to take over the top job. The 25-year-old is at the perfect age to take over the team, and there is no doubt that the team management and selectors have massive faith in his leadership abilities, having named him vice-captain of the 2025 Champions Trophy squad. Gill's brilliant leadership for table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing 2025 Indian Premier League.

India is currently headed for an unprecedented situation for having three captains in three different formats. However, Gill is the deputy in white-ball cricket and appointment him as Test captain could kickstart a process of restoring the status quo and having one captain across formats eventually.

However, Gill is yet to cement his spot in Test cricket and was dropped from the playing XI for the Boxing Day Test against Australia. While he impressed at home in 2024, his away numbers are concerning to say the least, having scored just one half-century outside Asia so far in his career. Infact, since his iconic knock of 91 in the 2021 Gabba Test victory, Gill has not even crossed the 40-run mark outside the subcontinent in Test cricket. The youngster has a lot to prove as a player in the longest format and whether giving him captaincy at this stage of his career is the right move remains debatable.

Rishabh Pant: Rishabh Pant seemed the likely replacement for Rohit Sharma in 2022, having taken Test cricket by storm, but the long hiatus from the sport pushed him back in the race. While his struggles in white-ball cricket are well documented, his record in the longest format is second to none, and he has already made a case for being arguably India's greatest wicket-keeper batter in Test cricket and one of the finest the world has ever seen.

The 27-year-old is among India's few consistent performers in the longest format for the last few years, and with Test cricket experience of seven years, he seems the ideal choice. Pant has experience of leading in red-ball cricket, having captained Delhi to the Ranji Trophy final in 2017, which remains their best display in India's premier first-class competition for a number of years.

However, Pant's captaincy in the IPL has left a lot to be desired, with several questionable moves tactically. Since taking over the top job for the Delhi Capitals in 2021 and for Lucknow Super Giants this season, his batting has not been up to the mark. Pant is among India's most important players in the longest format and it is crucial for the team that they do not lose the x-factor his batting brings.

Jasprit Bumrah: Jasprit Bumrah was a no-brainer pick for captaincy, having been Rohit's deputy in Tests for a long time. Bumrah is an unquestionable starter for the team and has shown himself to be a leader with his performances and mannerism. He proved his captaincy prowess after leading India to a historic victory in Perth last year.

However, his fitness issues and injury while leading the team in the Sydney Test have cast major doubt over Bumrah's captaincy aspirations. It is being widely reported that Bumrah will not be able to play all five Tests against England. Moreover, the team needs Bumrah as a player more than a captain being among the greatest pacers in the sport's history. It is crucial for him to stay fit and ensure he can deliver the goods on the pitch. This will mean managing his workload and not playing him when there is an injury risk, which will not be possible with captaincy.

KL Rahul: KL Rahul was appointed India's vice-captain when Rohit was named captain and infact, led the national team in a red-ball match before him after leading the team in the Johannesburg Test against South Africa in January 2022. Rahul has led India in three Test matches in his career with two victories, and the experience of leadership boosts his case to be given the responsibility at a time when the team has not groomed a new captain.

However, Rahul has been away from the leadership group since being removed as vice-captain in 2023, and his place in the team is far from certain. While Rohit's retirement ensures Rahul will open the batting in England, the 33-year-old is not undroppable and has been in and out of the Test side despite making his debut 10 years back. With a player, who has played for so long yet to nail down his spot or spot in the batting order, a captaincy gamble will be a bold one.

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