“Obviously if given an opportunity, it’s an honour and there’s no bigger feeling than that” – Jasprit Bumrah on prospect of leading India

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has expressed interest in captaining Team India, now that Virat Kohli has relinquished the Test captaincy as well. The speedster, however, made it clear that he is willing to contribute and help out young players either way.

After Virat Kohli’s shock abdication on Saturday, debates are rife about who should lead India in the longest format. While white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma is the automatic choice, age and ensuing fitness issues remain a concern. The majority are in favor of KL Rahul, but some voices are even rooting for Jasprit Bumrah, especially after Pat Cummins led Australia to a 4-0 Ashes rout.

Asked about his ambitions to lead the Indian team, Bumrah stated that it would be an honor if indeed the opportunity presents itself.

“For me, I am ready to contribute in whatever position, in whatever way I can to the team. If given an opportunity, of course you would think about it. But that’s something that I don’t chase, I like to do my work, however I can contribute – having a post or not, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever contribution you can give, I try to do that. And that’s always been my process and that’s always what I look to do.

“Obviously if given an opportunity, it’s an honor and there’s no bigger feeling than that. But yeah, I try to focus on the things that I can contribute even if I am not given a position of a leader. Because that’s the job of a teammate, that however you can help each other, in any situation, that’s very important,” Jasprit Bumrah said in response to a Sportskeeda query ahead of the ODI series against South Africa.

After Rohit couldn’t recover in time from his hamstring injury, KL Rahul was elevated to the helm of affairs while Bumrah was made his deputy for the three ODIs against the Proteas.

But the Gujarat pacer is not looking at his new role as an added responsibility. In addition to discussing bowling with peers, he is willing to share the bowler’s point of view with KL Rahul.

“The role doesn’t change at all because I have to do my job first, isn’t it? So trying to contribute as much as I can, in whatever fields I can, and helping KL as much as he wants, if he needs any assistance on the field, sharing a bowler’s mindset, what kind of fields can he keep – that is something that I always look to do.

“Even if I am not the vice-captain, I try to talk to certain younger guys as well, who have come in now and have a lot of discussions with them around fields, what kind of deliveries, and quickly assessing the wicket. So that’s the same role I’ll have to do again and I am trying to do that, no specific responsibilities or added pressure that I want to take,” Bumrah elaborated.

After the 1-2 defeat in the Test series, India would look to wrest their reputation in the ODI series. The first two games will be played in Paarl on January 19 and 21, before returning to Cape Town for the final ODI on January 23.

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“A new guy coming from the outside might come up with an observation which we might not spot” – Jasprit Bumrah

Indian cricket is going through a massive transition phase. After head coach Ravi Shastri and his support staff decided against renewing their contracts, for the first time in a decade, Virat Kohli isn’t in charge of any side – not even RCB in the IPL.

It’s not easy to be a new leader under a new management, in front of a new dawn. However, interim ODI vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is looking at the bright side of things. Looking back at his formative years in international cricket, Bumrah is open to welcoming new ideas because, he believes, newcomers unwittingly bring in fresh perspectives.

“As a bowler, when I first came into the side, I used to ask a lot of questions because I wanted to learn and hence I used to ask the seniors how much ever I could. Now in this transition phase, if younger players come up to me with questions, I share my experience. So I always try to do that, and sometimes, their fresh inputs can also help me.

“So we try to maintain this communication in the whole team, because a new guy coming from the outside might come up with an observation which we might not spot from within. However it helps the team, be it through an youngster or a seasoned campaigner,” Bumrah remarked.

With not many ODIs scheduled in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup, the Indian thinktank indeed has a delicate task at hand.

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