BCCI To Sack Rishabh Pant From India’s Leadership Role

 Rishabh Pant to lose captaincy [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, the BCCI may drop Rishabh Pant from the leadership race of the Test format amid concerns over his form as a batter. This comes just weeks ahead of the India vs Afghanistan Test.

India is set to face Afghanistan in a one-off Test in June, and the selection committee has already gotten to work. Though the match is not a part of the ongoing WTC cycle, the BCCI is serious about fielding the best possible lineup.

Rishabh Pant is likely to lose Test vice-captaincy

Amid this, PTI has reported that wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant could be sacked as India’s vice-captain in the Test format as the selection committee feels leadership responsibility may be negatively affecting his batting and decision-making.

The concerns come from his captaincy with LSG over the last two IPL seasons. Moreover, Pant's tactical decisions during the Test against South Africa when he captained India in place of Shubman Gill weren’t that great either.

And with the bat, he is already struggling. Hence, as per the BCCI, Rishabh Pant is more valuable as a fearless match-winning batter than as a leader carrying extra pressure. 

“Indian cricket simply cannot afford to lose a batting match-winner like Rishabh. He has won and set-up Test matches with his aggressive batting. There is a growing feeling among men who matter that whenever he has been entrusted with additional responsibility, he doesn't seem to make good decisions while batting,” BCCI source told PTI.

So selectors may remove him as vice-captain to allow him to focus only on batting and wicketkeeping.

Also Read - Jasprit Bumrah Out, Auqib Nabi In- India Test Squad Vs Afghanistan Predicted

Rishabh Pant to lose the ODI spot as well?

Apart from Test cricket, Rishabh Pant could face the heat in the ODI format as well. Dhruv Jurel, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson and KL Rahul are already performing well as wicketkeepers.

Currently, Rahul is the first-choice wicketkeeper in the 50-over format for India. However, Pant could lose his place in the 15-member squad as well if his poor form continues. Notably, Rishabh Pant hasn’t played ODIs since August 2024. 

That being said, the BCCI selection committee is set to meet in Guwahati on May 18 to pick squads for the Test and ODIs against Afghanistan, and Pant’s fate, right now, hangs in the balance. 

Jasprit Bumrah to stay away from ODIs for now

Meanwhile, the BCCI are also vigilant on the workload of Jasprit Bumrah. According to the PTI report, Bumrah will either play only the Afghanistan Test or skip the entire series completely, as he is not even being considered for the ODI leg.

If the medical staff deems him fit to bowl after the heavy IPL bowling, then only Bumrah will play the Test match. But if there’s even a slight concern, the star pacer will be rested without hesitation.

Notably, Jasprit has also not played the ODIs since the 2023 ODI World Cup. His workload has been the BCCI's top priority due to his back injury history.

With a long schedule coming up, Jasprit Bumrah remains a key asset that the board would like to keep bubble-wrapped.

Also Read - BCCI Scarps One Tournament To Launch Another In Between IPL 2026