'He Was Keen To Lead', Report Emerges as Jasprit Bumrah Named Indian Captain for Ireland Series
Jasprit Bumrah will captain India in Ireland T20Is (Source: Twitter)
In what is a happy news for the Indian cricket fans, the speculated return of their leading fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has finally been confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Bumrah's return in the Indian jersey has been made all the more significant as he will also be in charge of the T20 team, which will take the flight to Ireland in the coming days.
Although the decision to name Bumrah as the captain did not attract positivity from some corners, as people cited the pacer's workload management for their disapproval, a new detail has emerged which explains BCCI's thought process.
As per an ESPN Cricinfo report, even the BCCI held discussions on Ruturaj Gaikwad, who will lead India in the upcoming Asian Games, to go to Ireland as the team's skipper. However, Bumrah himself initiated coming back straight into the leadership role in his comeback series.
"There were deliberations over whether Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was named captain for the 2023 Asian Games, should lead in Ireland as well to reduce Bumrah's workload, but it's understood the fast bowler was keen to lead," the report mentioned.
Notably, the 29-year-old had captained India in the rearranged fifth Test of the previous England tour. He last played an international match in September 2022.
His injury-hit back did last long after that and ultimately he underwent surgery in New Zealand earlier this year. Since then, he has been rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy and now seems to be fully ready for his long-awaited comeback.