Why Jasprit Bumrah’s Return is Not Good For Rohit Sharma?
Jasprit Bumrah is back, and that’s exciting news for cricket fans. After being out for 93 days due to injury, he returned to action in the Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore match in IPL 2025. This is a big boost for India, especially with a five-match Test series against England starting in June 2025. But while Bumrah’s comeback is great for the team, it might spell trouble for India’s Test captain, Rohit Sharma. Rohit has been struggling to score runs in Tests and even in IPL 2025, and now people are talking about whether he should stay as captain or even stay in the team.
Rohit’s poor form has put the BCCI Selection Committee in a tough spot. They need to decide: stick with Rohit, who hasn’t been batting well and even stepped away during a Test in Australia, or give the captaincy to Bumrah, who carried India almost single-handedly in Australia. “It’s up to the selectors,” a BCCI official told InsideSport. “Bumrah led well in two matches in Australia. He’s already part of the leadership group, so it wouldn’t be a big change.”
Rohit Sharma’s Struggles
Rohit Sharma’s recent numbers tell a worrying story. In IPL 2025, he has scored just 0, 8, 13, and 17 in four games. In Tests this season, it’s been even worse. Against Bangladesh, he made 42 runs in four innings, averaging 10.5. Against New Zealand, he scored 91 runs in six innings, averaging 15.15. In Australia, he managed only 31 runs in five innings, averaging a tiny 6.2. He also played one Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai, scoring 3 and 28. Overall, in 17 Test innings this season, he has 195 runs at an average of 11.47. That’s not the kind of form you expect from a captain or a top batter.
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Rohit has been brilliant in shorter formats, though. He led India to two ICC titles, the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy and scored 302 runs in eight ODI innings at an average of 37.75. But in Tests and T20s, like IPL, he’s been off the mark. With no other matches before the England series except IPL, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has a hard choice. If Rohit goes to England, it’s as captain. If he’s not captain, his current form makes it tough for him to even get into the team.
“Every player has bad patches,” the BCCI official said. “Even greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly went through it. Rohit is a big player, he’s one good innings away from turning it around. The selectors will talk to him during IPL to figure out the plan. We need to give him time. Don’t forget, he won us two ICC titles this year.”
Bumrah’s return changes everything. If he hadn’t recovered, Rohit would likely have kept his spot for the England tour. But now that Bumrah is fit, many think he’ll take over as captain. In Australia, he led India in two Tests and took 32 wickets in the series, showing he can handle pressure. The selectors will pick the squad in May, and if Rohit doesn’t find his form by then, his time as Test captain and maybe as a Test player could be over.
Bumrah isn’t a perfect captain yet. His body needs careful management because he bowls a lot and has had injuries before. Still, he’s expected to lead India in England. Other players like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant are also in line to take charge someday. For now, India might share the captaincy until Gill or Pant proves they’re ready with strong Test performances. Rohit’s future hangs in the balance—it’s all up to his bat and the selectors’ call.
