(Image source from: x.com/BCCI)

The Indian cricket team's 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign might face a challenge as captain Rohit Sharma may miss one of the first two Tests against Australia in November 2024. Rohit has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he might have to skip one of the early matches due to personal reasons. The details of the situation are not entirely clear, but the BCCI has been made aware of the possibility of Rohit's absence. In Rohit's potential absence, Jasprit Bumrah, the team's lead pacer, is considered a candidate to lead the side, as he is among the most senior players in the squad, after Rohit and Virat Kohli.

Jasprit Bumrah, similar to his Australian counterpart Pat Cummins, has led the Indian Test team once in 2022 when Rohit was unavailable. Despite not winning that match, the team management may still consider this option. Shubman Gill, following the example of Virat Kohli taking over from MS Dhoni, could be given a chance to captain the Test team, potentially preparing him to replace Rohit in the long term. Gill has captaincy experience from India's tour of Zimbabwe and the Duleep Trophy, and with the support of senior players, this could be a valuable opportunity. Rishabh Pant, the Indian wicketkeeper-batter, continues to prove his importance in the Test team's future.

Rishabh Pant, who has experience as captain for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and the Indian team against South Africa, would be an intriguing choice to lead the team as they consider their long-term captaincy options with Rohit Sharma nearing the end of his career.

KL Rahul, the Indian middle-order batter, is the most practical choice to lead the team in Rohit's absence. He has been the stand-in captain for the national team across all three formats since 2022. So far, he has captained India in three Tests, winning two against Bangladesh in 2022 and losing only once against South Africa in the same year. Over the years, he has proven to be a reliable captain, especially in franchise cricket. With his experience, Rahul could be a frontrunner to lead the Indian team.

Another option that every Indian cricket fan would want to see is Virat Kohli leading the team once again, particularly in the longest format. During his three-year captaincy tenure in Tests, India underwent a significant transformation in the way they played, adopting an aggressive and fearless approach that even rattled the best opponents as they embarked on their journey to dominance.