It has been a vital topic to discuss whether the premier pacer of Indian cricket, Jasprit Bumrah, should be the new captain of the national side in the future, as he is locked in across formats without any shadow of a doubt. However, his importance in vital tournaments and series always forces the team management to wrap him in the cotton wool.
Whether it’s the longest format, or the 50-over form, or the shortest shape of the game, Jasprit Bumrah’s value with the ball in any situation or stage of the game is unmatchable. Since making his debut nearly eight years ago, the Ahmedabad-born fast bowler has been the diamond of Indian cricket.
He led India in the red-ball format once in England during the 2022 series, when Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the one-off game at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The concept of a fast bowler leading a team could be a double-edged sword, as it could backfire, but recently, Pat Cummins has earned so much success for Australia.
“Everything is right, but”- Dinesh Karthik on Jasprit Bumrah becoming India’s potential captain
As many cricket experts have figured out, Jasprit Bumrah has leadership qualities, which one could find in him in the bowling department as he has foxed the batters constantly. However, workload management always raises questions regarding development.
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The former Indian wicket-keeper batter, Dinesh Karthik, has expressed concerns about the pacer’s workload if he goes on to become the captain of the Blue Brigade in any format of the game.
“Everything (is) right. He is calm, cool, and has good maturity but, he is a fast bowler, so, how can we play him for all three formats, that is the biggest question the selectors would have had.” The Tamil Nadu-born shared his thoughts in the latest episode for Cricbuzz.
The 30-year-old was the second highest wicket-taker of the recent Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) to win the ‘Player of the tournament’ award, with 15 scalps in eight innings, at an average of under nine and an economy rate of only 4.17, with a best figure of 3/7.
Karthik rates Jasprit Bumrah as a ‘Kohinoor Diamond’, as he displays the importance of protecting the bowler to continue to have the same impact across formats that the whole country wants.
“For a fast bowler like Bumrah, his fitness needs to be monitored, and he needs to be protected as a player and only made to play in important matches.” The former team-mate of the pacer remarked in the video. “I keep saying this about Bumrah, he is like a Kohinoor diamond, we got to protect him, take care of him, make sure that he lasts as long as possible because whenever Bumrah plays, in any format he makes an impact and that’s what we want.”
Since the end of the 20-ove victorious campaign for India, Jasprit Bumrah has been given an extended break from the management to keep him in the best shape and rhythm during the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 in Australia. He is going to miss the Duleep Trophy and perhaps the home series against Bangladesh.
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Earlier, during a discussion, the veteran pacer was asked to choose his favorite captain, and he picked himself as his favorite leader of the side.
“See, my favorite captain is me because I have captained a few games. There are great captains, but I would take my name that I am my favorite captain.” Bumrah told ‘Indian Express’ a few weeks ago.
He is expected to make a return for the Blue Brigade during the three-match home Test series against New Zealand.