The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) previous selection committee, in 2022, had enlisted Jasprit Burmah as one of the potential candidates to replace Rohit Sharma as a full-time all-format India captain. Bumrah later went on lead India in a rescheduled Test against England in 2022, before serving as Rohit's deputy in the longer formats, which was as even as recent as the tour of South Africa and the home contest against England earlier this year. However, despite showing leadership abilities and expressing his willingness to take over the role across formats, BCCI ignored the fast bowler as they laid the ascension plan for young Shubman Gill.

Earlier this month, Gill was named as India's new vice-captain in white-ball cricket, while a report in RevSportz indicated that the selectors are also likely to name the youngster for the same role in Test cricket for the home series against Bangladesh in September.

Amid BCCI's plans for Gill, Bumrah, in conversation with Indian Express, once again hinted that if given the opportunity to lead the Indian team, he is ready to take up the role. “That is something that I don’t decide I cannot go to you know the team and say now you have to make me Captain. I don’t have that much power and it is above my paygrade,” Bumrah said.

‘Bowlers make smart and brave captains’: Bumrah

The right-armer further argued that bowlers make better captains irrespective of the format because it is they who are always at odds in a sport which is massively tilted towards the batters.

“I feel the bowlers are the smart people because you know, they have to get the batsman out and we are obviously always fighting the odds because the grounds are shorter, the bats are better. I don’t remember any article or any technology coming that okay, we are helping the bowlers to swing the ball a lot more.

“Obviously, the people enjoy the ball being thrown around and like to see sixes being hit. That’s okay. So I feel that because bowlers are fighting the odds and have to do the hard job and not hiding behind a bat. They’re not hiding behind a flat wicket. We’re right in the firing line,” he said.

“When we lose a game, it’s usually the bowlers that are being blamed. It’s a hard job. So I feel that, you know, I take a lot of pride in doing that job, it requires a lot of guts to also, you know, physically put a lot of strain on your body and you still enjoy the game and still create an impact. So you get Yes, you have to face a lot of challenges that come along with it.

“So I feel that because of all of these challenges, you always find new ways the bowlers find different ways of succeeding and fighting the odds.”

Bumrah then exemplified his notion by mentioning World Cup-winning captains Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Pat Cummins, before adding that bowlers are both brave and smart.

“I think leadership requires you to be brave. So I am also always of the opinion that we see whenever we’ve seen Pat Cummins doing really well. When I was young I have seen Wasim Akram being the captain. Kapil Dev has won the World Cup for India. Imran Khan has won a World Cup for Pakistan. So bowlers are the smart ones. It’s just that okay, sometimes physically, it’s stressful for them. So I can understand that sometimes leadership has gone to the batters but it is the way it is. And it depends on what the team feels is right and how they want to take the team forward. But in my opinion, I really think highly of bowlers, and that I am a fan till date of fast bowlers. So I’m of the opinion they are the smart ones.,” he added.

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