Bumrah Breaks Silence: “I Told BCCI That I Don’t Want the Captaincy”
After Rohit Sharma’s unexpected retirement from Test cricket, discussions began about appointing a new captain for the upcoming India-England Test series. Though Shubman Gill was eventually named skipper, social media buzzed with speculation about Jasprit Bumrah being a contender. Now, Bumrah himself has cleared the air.
In a recent interview with former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik on a popular sports channel, Bumrah revealed that he voluntarily opted out of Test captaincy due to workload concerns.
“It’s not surprising that my name came up for captaincy. But there was no controversy. No one rejected me — I personally informed the BCCI during the IPL that I would prefer to focus on bowling rather than take up leadership responsibilities,” Bumrah said.
Why Bumrah Declined the Role
Bumrah explained that he discussed his workload and injury concerns, especially his back issues, with BCCI and medical experts, including his surgeon.
“My doctor always advises me to be extremely cautious about managing workload. After consulting everyone, I told BCCI not to consider me for the captaincy because I won’t be able to play all five Tests against England.”
He emphasized that it wouldn’t be ideal for the team if captaincy changed midway through the series.
“If I lead for three Tests and someone else leads for the remaining two, it disrupts the team dynamic. That’s not good for consistency,” Bumrah added.
Gill Becomes Captain
Due to Rohit’s retirement and Bumrah opting out, the BCCI chose Shubman Gill to lead the team in the upcoming England series. The first Test begins on Friday, June 20 at Leeds, starting 3:30 PM IST. Bumrah has confirmed that he will play only three of the five Tests.
Bumrah: “I Love the Game More Than the Captaincy”
“Leading India in Tests is a great honor, but I’m more passionate about contributing as a player than leading the team. Cricket itself means more to me than the captaincy.”
Even head coach Gautam Gambhir recently stated that Bumrah only wishes to play three Tests in the five-match series.