R Ashwin breaks silence on India’s Test Captain, Cricket News cites the example of Graeme Smith

Retired Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has nominated Jasprit Bumrah as his favorite choice to lead India in Test cricket, while admitting that Shubman Gill is emerging as the most popular candidate. Speaking on your YouTube channel Ash ki baatAshwin also highlighted the leadership vacuum in the Indian side and called for a more structured and transparent captaincy selection process. Ashwin expressed concern about how a public opinion is formed in cricket, saying that repeated narratives are often converted into reality. “If a person says something, it is an opinion. If five say, it becomes a strong opinion. But if fifty says the same thing, people start believing that this is the truth. It’s my issue,” he said. He supported Bumrah, called him a “national treasure”, but admitted that the fast bowler’s history of injury and the demands of a full test series made his long -term availability uncertain. Ashwin said, “Bumrah has a major surgery. I would be very surprised if he plays all five tests in a series. He needs to give a break to recover,” Ashwin said. “Nevertheless, I will be very disappointed if he never gets a captain.” Ashwin also proposed Ravindra Jadeja’s name as a short -term option, suggesting that he could lead to a few years, preparing a small successor like Gill. “Let’s not forget, Jadeja is the most experienced player in the team. He should be in conversation,” he said.Quiz: Who is that IPL player? He praised the approach to evaluation of the candidates of Australia -led candidates, allowing him to present his captaincy vision, suggesting that India should adopt a similar model. “Captains, coaches and selectors can make or break a career. It has happened earlier and will be again. So I believe that there should be an interview process.”

Ashwin argued that players like Rishabh Pant, Gill, Bumrah and Jadeja should not be seen at leadership capacity without understanding their vision. “The leadership is about the character. Any captain, coach or selector actually knows the character of a player until they talk to him,” he said. On Shubman Gill, Ashwin admitted that he appears to be a leading contender in public eyes, and attracted a parallel with Graeme Smith, who captained South Africa at an early age.

“I hope Gujarat has qualification for Titans IPL playoffsIf Gill receives respect there, it can make their transition easier for leadership. But captaincy, especially in tests, is not about a good weather. A leader should know what is happening in first class cricket, ”he said. Ashwin concluded by repeating his praise for Gill but emphasized the value of experience and structure in leadership decisions.