By Kavita Mistry 
For the first time in the history of Indian cricket, three captains will lead the team in all three formats. Team India captain Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the Test format on Wednesday (May 7). The “Hitman,” who has already retired from T20 cricket, stated that he will continue playing in ODIs.
With this, Rohit will only captain the team in ODIs. Sources close to him say that he has decided to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup and has announced his farewell to Tests in order to stay fit until then. As a result, there is almost no chance of Rohit being removed from the captaincy before the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Surya Kumar Yadav will continue as the captain for T20 cricket. The young Indian team is expected to become an unstoppable force under Surya’s leadership. Surya is not playing in the ODI or Test formats and is solely focused on T20s. It seems certain that Surya will remain as captain for the 2026 T20 World Cup. There is curiosity about who the new Test captain will be. After Rohit’s retirement, the selection of a new captain for India in the upcoming five-Test series against England next month has become inevitable.
While the selectors will announce the team for the tour starting on June 20, Bumrah, Rahul, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant are in the race for the captaincy.
The current vice-captain, Bumrah, has already led the team in a few matches. However, selectors and board officials are hesitant to make Bumrah the full-time captain due to his role as a fast bowler and his frequent injuries.
Pant’s lack of consistency as a batter could also be a disadvantage. In this context, Rahul or Gill may be handed the reins. With this, Indian cricket will see three captains in three formats for the first time.