Ponting Endorses Shubman as India's New Test Captain

Australian great Ricky Ponting has endorsed Shubman Gill as the right choice to lead India into a new era of Test cricket, following the retirements of stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

With both modern-day legends stepping away from the longest format last month, India has handed the reins to the 25-year-old Gill ahead of their five-Test tour of England, which also marks the beginning of a new World Test Championship cycle. This will also be the first time in over a decade that the Indian team will be without either Kohli or Rohit, signaling a clear transition phase.

While the move has sparked debate—with several cricket pundits backing the elevation of Jasprit Bumrah, who led India to victory in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia late last year—Ponting believes Gill is ready for the responsibility and well-placed to shape the team's next chapter.

"I actually think it's the right move," Ponting said on The ICC Review, responding to the debate around Gill's appointment. "I know there are a lot of people and pundits out there questioning why it wasn't Bumrah and why they went with Shubman, but I think it's pretty simple."

"Bumrah's injuries have held him back a bit over the last couple of years, and you don't want that in a captain. You can't have a captain missing games here and there. So I think it's the right decision. Now that they've made it, they've got to stick with it and give him a real chance over a long period."