Chorus for Virat Kohli's return as Team India captain in the upcoming Test match against England grew louder after former Three Lions spinner Graeme Swann backed him to lead the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma is currently in isolation after testing for COVID-19 on Saturday. However, the chances of Rohit Sharma recovering in time for the fifth and final match of the series against England are grim. With vice-captain KL Rahul also unavailable due to a groin injury, speculation has intensified about who would lead the Indian team in their absence.

While certain reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is thinking about appointing either Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, or Rishabh Pant as skipper, Graeme Swann wants to see Virat Kohli back at the helm of affairs as he was the one who started it all in England last year.

India currently lead the five-match series 2-1 and if they manage to beat the hosts in the final game at Edgbaston it would be their first series win on English soil in 15 years. India last defeated England in a Test series at their home in 2007.

“You could say why not let Virat Kohli finish off the things he started and sort of have a final hoorah. Whether Virat would want to do that, I don't know. I don't think England will really mind. Maybe, if you think about Ben Stokes… He would quite like Virat Kohli to be captain then he could directly compare to how Joe Root's team played against Virat Kohli's,” Graeme Swann said in an interaction organized by Sony Sports Network ahead of the fifth Test against England.

“We saw a lot of the New Zealand players getting Covid but they recovered really quickly so I'm hoping Rohit would do the same and lead India,” he added.

“England won't be too worried about who is India's captain. They would be looking to put as much pressure as possible on the Indian batting unit and bowl them out. When we used to play against the Indian team, they had some great names, we always used to worry about how to get them out cheaply, it was never about who is captain,” Graeme Swann expressed.

Talking about Rishabh Pant, he may have led India in the T20I series against the Proteas, but several former cricketers, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Ashish Nehra, were critical of his captaincy skills.

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria too wasn't impressed by Rishabh Pant's leadership skills and doesn't want to see him captaining the Indian team in the crucial fifth Test against England.

On the other hand, Rishabh Pant received severe criticism from all quarters for his mediocre batting, to say the least. The 24-year-old explosive batter could only make 58 runs in his five outings against the South Africans. But it wasn't just his low tally of runs that came under fire from fans and pundits alike. Rather it was the manner of his dismissals that was questioned because on four occasions he lost his wicket while fetching balls from well outside off stump. His poor form with the bat and his dubious calls as captain during the South Africa series has convinced Danish Kaneria that Rishabh Pant isn't mature enough to lead India in a crunch match like the one against England.

“Rishabh Pant is not mature enough to be captain. He got a chance to lead the side in the South Africa series but did a horrible job. Captaincy also tends to take a toll on his batting. I feel that he shouldn't be the captain anymore,” Danish Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.

“I'm surprised that Kohli's name isn't being suggested. Pant and Bumrah are in the race to lead the team in Edgbaston. Pujara has been playing in England for so long. He also can lead the team if Rohit isn't available. The best option for India is to give the captaincy to Kohli. He can return if India doesn't find any other option. But I am hopeful that Rohit will be leading the team in the fifth Test,” Danish Kaneria added.

Danish Kaneria also felt that if the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) elevated Jasprit Bumrah to the captaincy, it could hamper his bowling. If he's allowed to lead the Indian team, Jasprit Bumrah would have to focus on a different job altogether and may not get the time to think about how to execute his plans against the England batters.

“BCCI has indicated that Pant, Bumrah, or Ashwin could be given the captaincy if Rohit isn't available. Bumrah shouldn't be given the load of captaincy and he should rather concentrate on his bowling. I wouldn't want him to lead the side.”

Jasprit Bumrah, however, found support from Mohit Sharma who compared him with the legendary Kapil Dev. The former India fast bowler said that if Kapil Dev could lead India to their maiden World Cup triumph in 1983, Jasprit Bumrah could lead the team to a Test series victory in England.

“I don't know how well you know Jassi (Jasprit Bumrah) but I know him very well. We played a lot of cricket together. He is a very cool and calm character,” Mohit Sharma told news agency ANI.

“On the field, he bowls aggressively but off the field, he is very calm and if he becomes a captain then the taboo of fast bowlers can't become captain will not be there,” he added.

“Paaji (Kapil Dev) did for India if you look at other countries Pat Cummins has led Australia. So, if Bumrah becomes captain then it would be great for India,” Mohit Sharma concluded.