Jasprit Bumrah has captained India in one Test match and several T20Is, yet despite his sharp cricketing acumen, he has not been seriously considered for the permanent captaincy.

This topic surfaced during the transitional phase after Rohit Sharma stepped down from T20Is, with Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya being potential replacements. Although Bumrah’s name was mentioned, he was never a primary candidate. Eventually, Suryakumar Yadav, an exceptional batter, was chosen as the T20I team captain over Hardik Pandya, who was popular among fans.

Bumrah has expressed that aspiring to be the team captain is beyond his role. He highlighted that bowlers could be effective leaders due to their intelligence and resilience. “I cannot go to the team and tell them to make me captain. It is above my pay grade. I feel bowlers are the smart people because we have to get the batters out. We are always fighting the odds as the grounds are shorter, and the bats are better. 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,” Bumrah stated to the Indian Express.

He elaborated on the challenges bowlers face, emphasizing their need for innovation and resilience. “Bowlers do the hard job. They are not hiding behind a bat or a flat wicket. When you lose a game, bowlers are blamed. It is a hard job, and I take a lot of pride in doing that job. You have to face a lot of challenges. Because of these challenges, bowlers find new ways to succeed. Fighting the odds makes you a lot braver, and leadership needs you to be brave,” he added.

Bumrah also pointed to successful bowlers who have led their teams, such as Australia’s Pat Cummins, who won the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship, and legends like Wasim Akram, Kapil Dev, and Imran Khan.

“We have seen Pat Cummins doing 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 often goes to batters. In my opinion, bowlers are the smart ones,” he remarked.

Bumrah discussed how perceptions change with results, drawing a parallel to his own unconventional bowling action. “Perception changes with results. I came from a perception that this bowling action would not work, but now people try to copy it. You don’t try to say things; you let your results talk. Pat Cummins is a big example. I got a lot of positive results. He won the World Cup and WTC. I do not think it is a burden. When you play cricket, you want responsibility,” he said.

Jasprit Bumrah is currently enjoying a break from cricket after being named Player of the Tournament in India’s T20 World Cup victory.