When the discussion of appointing India’s new T20I captain was going on, a few raised the name of Jasprit Bumrah, the expressive pacer for the Indian team. If a T20I team is getting selected for any national side, the Ahmedabad bowler makes into the team without any second thought,
Jasprit Bumrah played a huge role in making India the T20 World Cup champions for the second time, by winning the ‘Player of the series award’. He was the second-highest wicket-taker of the event, with 15 wickets in eight innings, at an average of under nine and a strike rate of 11.86.
His economy rate of 4.17 keeps him apart from all the other bowlers, who participated in the competition. He is also the third-highest wicket-taker for India in the shortest format of the game, with 89 scalps in 69 innings, at an economy of 6.27.
‘People enjoy the ball being thrown around and…’- Jasprit Bumrah
Just when Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the shortest format of the game, there was a discussion on the change of captaincy, where the premier pace bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya was supposed to be the obvious choice for the position.
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But the newly appointed head coach of the Indian cricket team, Gautam Gambhir, and the chief selector Ajit Agarkar named Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of India in T20Is. Now, Jasprit Bumrah, who wasn’t even considered for the role, opened up about the situation with a nasty reply.
‘I cannot go to the team and tell, now you have to make me captain. It is above my pay grade. I feel the bowlers are the smart people, as we have to get the batters out. We are always fighting the odds as the ground are shorter, the bats are better.’ The Indian pacer remarked during his conversation on ‘Indian Express Adda’. ‘I don’t remember any article or technology coming to swing the ball a lot more. People enjoy the ball being thrown around and enjoy sixes being hit.’
The veteran also touched on why it would become so hard to become a fast bowler as there had been many challenges, besides mentioning the likes of Pat Cummins, Wasim Akram, and Kapil Dev who faced it more being the fast bowler and the captain of the team.
‘Because bowlers are doing the hard job. They are not hiding behind a bat. They are not hiding behind a flat wicket. When you lose a game, bowlers are blamed. It is a hard job. I take a lot of pride doing that job. You have to face a lot of challenges. Because of these challengers, bowlers find new ways to succeed.’ He stretched on the point of a fast bowler captaining a team.
‘We have seen Pat Cummins doing really well. I have seen Wasim Akram captaining. Kapil Dev and Imran Khan have won a World Cup. Bowlers are the smart ones. Sometimes, physically it is stressful, that’s why leadership goes to batters. In my opinion, bowlers are the smart ones.’ Jasprit Bumrah expressed during the interaction.
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The 30-year-old also added on how Pat Cummins, even with that pressure, got some positive results during the World Cup and the World Test Championship, by taking the responsibility on his shoulders.
‘You do not want to hide behind and be the backbencher. You have to be of the mindset that if you give me the ball, I will make the difference. I am of the opinion that there is no better thought than having responsibility. Injuries can happen to anyone.’ The Gujarat bowler concluded.
Jasprit Bumrah has been given a break from the Sri Lanka trip, as he is expected to return for the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh.