Ex-India Star Serves Jasprit Bumrah Captaincy Warning: “Needs To Be Understood…”

Ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah leads India in the first Test against Australia, starting in Perth on November 22, after regular skipper Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the contest. Rohit stayed back in India for the birth of his second child, and is likely to reach Perth in the midst of the series-opener at the Optus Stadium. While Rohit’s absence has been deemed a big blow to India, former pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji is confident that Bumrah can thrive as captain of the Test team.

While he cautioned against expecting immediate results from Bumrah, Balaji is open to the idea of seeing more fast bowlers taking up captaincy.

“Every cricketer would love to go to Australia. And when you have the opportunity to lead and be the primary bowler, it will only propel Jasprit higher in his career. However, there shouldn’t be too many expectations from him. He is a young captain, and that needs to be understood. It’s a great opportunity not only for him but for the entire team. We all know Australians play their cricket hard, and at times, there will be a flared-up environment,” Balaji told India Today in an interview.

To back his claim, Balaji also gave the example for former Pakistan captain Imran Khan, who excelled as leader and took Pakistan to new heights. He sees no reason why Bumrah can’t handle captaincy along with his bowling duties. Instead, Balaji suggested captaincy might improve his bowling.

“I think it’s not impossible for a fast bowler to meet the demands of leading in Test cricket. Imran Khan showed that a fast bowler can be a shrewd captain. He was exceptional in all aspects – leadership, batting, and bowling. Fast bowling is especially demanding. You’ll be tired after long spells, yet you still have to call the shots. But I think Bumrah is ready for it. He has played enough cricket to understand the demands of the game. He has been on two tours to Australia, and that experience shapes you into a different player,” he added.