Veteran Indian leg-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has added fuel to an India captaincy controversy for their forthcoming Test series against England on June 20, 2025, in Headingley by suggesting a surprise candidate to captain the side in Ravindra Jadeja. Talking on his YouTube show 'Ash Ki Baat' on May 15, 2025, Ashwin recognized the common sentiment supporting Shubman Gill, who has been groomed to lead and recently took Gujarat Titans to the IPL 2025 points table top, but also brought to the forefront Jasprit Bumrah as a strong candidate before pushing for Jadeja, saying, "Everybody is saying that Shubman Gill is the Test captain. All are heading that way. But there is a big voice in Jasprit Bumrah, and why do we overlook Ravindra Jadeja?"

Ashwin's endorsement of Jadeja comes in a period of transition for Indian Test cricket, after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the game earlier this month. A lot of experience comes with Jadeja, who has 312 Test wickets and 3,036 runs in 74 Tests, and he was a significant factor in India's success in the 2018-19 Test series in Australia.  Ashwin noted Jadeja's leadership ambitions, referencing his brief time as captain of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL in 2022 and his goal to captain India, stating that "the most experienced man in the side is Ravindra Jadeja."

A New Era for Indian Test Cricket

Recent news, though, points to trouble for the other candidates, as Bumrah has ruled himself out of the captaincy contest on workload grounds, given that he might not play all five Tests, and Gill does not have experience leading India in Tests or ODIs. The selection committee, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, will soon convene later this month to finalize the team and captain, as Jadeja's name now gathers momentum.

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Ashwin's recommendation of Jadeja may be a tactical decision to use the all-rounder's know-how to lead an inexperienced group in a tough series in England, signaling the beginning of the next World Test Championship cycle. In the absence of the likes of Kohli and Sharma, the selected skipper will be under tremendous pressure, and Ashwin's proposal is the turning point for India's future in Test cricket.