India’s hunt for a new Test captain has picked up pace following Rohit Sharma’s red-ball retirement, and Michael Vaughan believes the answer lies in going back to an old guard. Ahead of the five-Test series in England, the ex-England captain suggested India should hand the leadership back to Virat Kohli and name Shubman Gill as his deputy. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Michael Vaughan wrote: “If I was India I would give the captaincy to Virat for the Test series in England .. Shubman Gill can be his VC for the tour.” If I was India I would give the captaincy to Virat for the Test series in England .. Shubman Gill can be his VC for the tour .. #India 👍 — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) May 11, 2025 His comments came just a day after reports surfaced that Kohli had informed the BCCI he may not be available for the England tour at all. With Rohit Sharma’s Test career now officially over, selectors are expected to meet soon to name his successor. While Kohli’s availability remains uncertain, Vaughan's proposal reignites the debate on whether the former India skipper should take up the responsibility. Kohli's last series as India's captain was in 2022. Current frontrunners for the job include Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant, with one of them likely to take over the vice-captaincy role. Jasprit Bumrah, who was Rohit’s deputy during the Australia series earlier this year, is reportedly out of the captaincy race due to workload concerns. Bumrah is unlikely to play all five matches and is still managing fitness after missing the ICC Champions Trophy due to a back issue. Kohli’s Test future in doubt ahead of new WTC cycle Adding another twist to India’s leadership headache, reports on May 10 claimed that Virat Kohli is considering retirement from Test cricket. According to sources, Kohli has communicated to the BCCI that he is unsure about continuing in the longest format and is unlikely to be available for the England tour. Also READ: Virat Kohli's Test Future: Why India Still Needs Him Now This news comes as a major concern for Indian cricket, especially with the new World Test Championship cycle set to begin. The two-time runners-up failed to make it to the finals in the recent edition. A senior BCCI official has reportedly requested Kohli to rethink his decision, especially as India have already lost Rohit Sharma from the format this month. If Kohli does call time on his Test career, India will be without their two most experienced red-ball batters. In that case, the responsibility to anchor the batting line-up will fall on rising stars like Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Notably, R Ashwin also called it a day recently during the Australian tour. Kohli has had a prolific Test career as a captain. He has led the team in 68 matches, winning 40 of them, and leading team to two WTC finals. In England, he has played 17 Tests and scored 1096 runs at an average of 33.21. The new Test captain and the squad for the England tour are expected to be announced before the end of May.