Jasprit Bumrah has served three of the finest leaders in Indian cricket. While Dhoni transformed him, Kohli made him feel passionately about his profession and Rohit Sharma gave him liberty. But amidst all these, Bumrah never lost his sense of humor: “There are great captains, but I’ll take my name — I am my favourite captain,” he says.
Bumrah reflects on the captains he has played under during a recent interview with The Parami News, while highlighting their distinctive styles.
But for Covid-19 lockdown and back injury issues, this 30-year-old fast bowler would have played 100 ODIs and T20Is by now although he has already appeared in 36 tests for India. This does not undermine his extraordinary skills and ability to learn quickly.
On the other hand, learning from each of his former captains is what Bumrah’s achievement owes itself to.
“He is one of those captains out there who understands bowlers because he is primarily a batsman himself,” said Bumrah when speaking to the paper about skipper who won India the T20 World Cup in 2024. “He understands emotions players go through; he gets what one might be experiencing as a player. They listens because Rohit is flexible.”
His first ODI wicket came in Sydney against Australia in January 2016 under Dhoni’s captaincy with savelet like bowling figures of 2/40 from nine overs; these opportunities were after success in the IPL that helped him secure an Indian call-up at that young age.
Calling him MS (Dhoni), Bumrah appreciated his speediness, suggesting that it allowed him keep up with higher levels of cricket quickly. “He goes by instinct; he doesn’t do too much planning.”
He also added that Kohli made fitness top priority among others as skipper comparing it with previous captaincy roles held by Rohit Sharma who recently retired from T20Is after the World Cup in 2023.
Now, it is Rohit’s responsibility to lead in Tests and ODIs while Suryakumar Yadav has been handed over the reins of captaincy for T20Is.
In his own words, Bumrah described Kohli as “energetic” and “passionate”. ‘He made us push ourselves physically; thereby changing the narrative. Yet Virat is not a skipper but he remains a leader. 11 people run a team, not ‘captain.’
