ENG vs IND 2025: Ajit Agarkar explains why Jasprit Bumrah was not named Test captain

Published - 24 May 2025, 20:01 IST | Updated - 24 May 2025, 20:14 IST

The Chairman of the National Selection Committee, Ajit Agarkar revealed that Jasprit Bumrah will not be available for all five Test matches during the upcoming England tour. He explained that this was the main reason behind Bumrah not being considered for the Indian Test captaincy.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced an 18-member squad for the England tour, set to begin on June 20 at Headingley.  Agarkar expressed that the bowler is a huge asset and while leading the side, the responsibility can become a burden. He also stressed that Bumrah's bowling workload needs to be managed properly to restrict any injuries.

“I mean, not really booms (Bumrah), because he led in Australia. He was vice captain in Australia but once he's not going to be available for all the test matches, I think he's more important to us as a player. We want him fit. There's always that extra burden when you're leading, managing 15-16, other people, there's a lot that it takes out of you,” said Agarkar at the press conference.

"We'd rather have him bowling as well as he does, than putting that extra burden on him. He's aware of it and he'd rather look after himself and be bowling fit," he added.

Bumrah has captained India in three Tests so far, including the first and last matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024–25 in Australia. The pacer earned praise for his leadership skills, but it was going to be challenging for him to take on the full-time responsibility of leading the Test side.