The 26-year-old Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has already impressed the cricket world. Now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to send his name for the Arjuna Award 2020.
Jasprit Bumrah has rapidly grown up due to his consistent success in every format. After making his international debut in 2016, Bumrah has played 14 Tests, 64 ODIs and 50 T20Is where he has taken 68, 104 and 59 wickets respectively. India’s most wicket-taker in T20I history Bumrah is currently the no.2-ranked ODI bowler, no.7-ranked Test bowler and no.13-ranked T20I bowler.
In the last year, the BCCI sent three names from the men’s national cricket team for the Arjuna Award, where Bumrah and his pace-bowling partner Mohammed Shami was also in there along with the Arjuna Award 2019 winner all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
A BCCI source told PTI, “Last year, we had sent three names in men’s section — Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami.”
As Bumrah had completed only two years in international cricket, he missed out the last Arjuna Award as the selection criteria demand at least three years performances in the highest level.
The source added, “That’s why Bumrah, who completed three years of international cricket last year, missed out to Jadeja, who is senior as well as a consistent performer for many years.”
The BCCI is reportedly expected to not send any name from the men’s and women’s sides for the Arjuna Award 2020. But if they send the name, then Bumrah is the frontrunner, who just recently lost the top position of the ODI bowling rankings, majorly due to inactive in cricket for the process of his recovery.
Since his Test debut in January 2018, Bumrah has taken 135 international wickets, which are second-most wickets among the Indian bowlers in this period.
The source claimed, “He certainly has the best credentials. He was ICC’s No 1 ranked ODI bowler. He is the only Asian bowler to pick up five-wicket hauls in South Africa, England, Australia and West Indies.”
Bumrah finished as the most wicket-taker for India (fifth-most wicket-taker in overall) in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 as the right-arm pacer took 18 wickets in that tournament. During the Kingston Test last August, Bumrah also recorded a Test hat-trick.
Arjuna Award 2020: Shikhar Dhawan can be the second choice for the BCCI
Moreover, if the BCCI sends more name for the Arjuna Award 2020, the 34-year-old left-handed opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan can be the second choice in this list.
The source added, “In 2018, we had sent Dhawan’s name for nomination but only Smriti (Mandhana) got the award. So BCCI can send both Bumrah and Dhawan’s names.”
After his international debut in 2010, Dhawan has played 34 Tests, 136 ODIs and 61 T20Is where the left-handed batsman has scored 2315 runs (average 40.61), 5688 runs (average 45.14) and 1588 runs (average 28.35) respectively.