Star pacer Jasprit Bumrah revealed that he had requested the BCCI not to consider him for the role of India’s full-time Test captain.
Following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket, the Indian board had initially planned to hand over the red-ball leadership to Bumrah. However, the 31-year-old pacer said he turned down the opportunity due to workload management concerns.
India’s Test team is currently undergoing a transition phase. Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retired midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last December, while both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their Test retirements during the IPL, within five days of each other.
Initially, Bumrah was seen as the most likely successor to Rohit. But the BCCI eventually appointed 25-year-old Shubman Gill as the new Test captain, who will begin his tenure against England this Friday at Headingley, Leeds.
Before that, speaking to former Indian batter Dinesh Karthik on Sky Sports, Bumrah opened up about his decision to step back from the leadership role:
“There’s no imaginary story here regarding the captaincy. There’s no controversy or statement to make headlines like ‘I was dropped’ or ‘I wasn’t taken care of.’ Before Rohit and Virat retired, during the IPL, I had already spoken to the BCCI about my workload for the five-Test series. I spoke to the people who look after my back, I spoke to the doctor—he always reminded me how cautious I needed to be about my workload.”
“After that conversation, we mutually agreed that I needed to be more careful. I called the BCCI and told them I didn’t want to take on a leadership role because I wouldn’t be able to give my 100% in all five matches of a long series. Yes, at that time the BCCI was considering me for the captaincy. But I had to say no. It’s not fair for the team if one player leads in three matches and another in two. That’s not ideal, and I’ve always prioritized the team above everything else.”
Bumrah had led India’s bowling attack almost single-handedly during the last tour of Australia, picking up a record 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 across 151.2 overs. That workload took a toll on his body, and he sustained a back injury that ruled him out of the Champions Trophy and the start of the IPL.
He had already undergone back surgery in 2023, and any new injury could potentially endanger his career. That’s why he remains extremely cautious about his workload.
It’s already been confirmed that Bumrah will only play in three of the five Tests in the upcoming England series. However, which three games he’ll feature in hasn’t been finalized yet, and the decision will be taken based on match situations.
“If I were the captain, I couldn’t say, ‘Okay, I’ll just play three Test matches.’ That doesn’t send the right message to the team. So with all that in mind, I’ll try to give my best as a player, and hopefully perform well in the matches I do play,” he added.
