Four reasons why BCCI made a right call by appointing Jasprit Bumrah as India captain for Ireland T20Is

Jasprit Bumrah has returned to the Indian squad after almost a year and has been appointed captain for the Ireland tour.

India’s ace pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be coming back to the Indian Team after almost a year’s absence due to a back injury. Bumrah, after missing out on major tournaments in the last few months, has charted out his roadmap for the World Cup 2023 . His presence will be the most crucial factor in team India’s campaign. Bumrah will be making his comeback as a leader in India’s upcoming short tour to Ireland. He will be playing a 3-match T20I series against Ireland in Malahide. With the Asia Cup and World Cup in line in the next two months, his comeback has puts the team one step ahead in the pace bowling attack.

Bumrah underwent surgery in March this year, which made him sit out of the Indian Premier League and the World Test Championship Final against Australia, along with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. Bumrah’s prolonged rehabilitation was a sign of worry for Indian fans, as the team was not able to find a suitable replacement for him in limited-overs cricket. Bumrah, now back as a leader, will be roaring against Ireland and creating tremors in the minds of others who were expecting him to miss out on one more major tournament. With the 2024 T20 World Cup in sight, Bumrah’s elevation and his comeback look like a secret message for the Indian team.

On that note, we will discuss the four reasons why BCCI has made the right call to appoint Bumrah captain for Ireland tour.

A part of the leadership group of the team

When Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the rescheduled test against England in July 2022, the fast bowler was appointed the captain of India’s test team. In Rohit’s absence, this one decision of the selectors put him on the list of future leaders. He has been looked at as a possible captain, backed up by his performance and his experience in the Indian team. The Ireland tour will be his second assignment as a leader of the group in International cricket. Along with Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant, and Shreyas Iyer, pacer Jasprit Bumrah is also in the group of future leaders of the Indian team.

Will be a confidence booster for returning Bumrah

India’s recent results against West Indies proved that taking any team lightly in the shortest c ricket format may prove suicidal. Ireland may be a low-ranked team, but to get the rhythm back and get some crucial game time, the upcoming series will be a crucial one for the senior fast bowler. From last year, he will also need some backing and a little confidence back in him for the upcoming big tournaments like the Asia Cup and World Cup. A leadership role for his comeback will be a confidence booster for Bumrah. This will add a little extra pressure but also allow him to express himself.

Can’t sit out of Playing XI

A player like Jasprit Bumrah can make it in any team around the World without any ifs and buts. His performances have been consistent and match-winning for team India. Bumrah’s performance will be key for the team in every game he plays. Recently we have seen senior players talking about workload management and taking a break in between the series or opting out for a full tour. Bumrah after being appointed captain of the team for the tour will not be taking a rest in between.

Exploring captaincy options other than Hardik Pandya

Indian management is looking to prepare a different set of players in the T20 format. As Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are out of the T20I teams after the ICC T20 World Cup,2022. Since then, Hardik Pandya has been appointed as the captain of the team. Now that Japrit Bumrah is in the picture, it seems like the selection panel is considering having multiple options open for the upcoming T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA next year. Pandya hasn’t been officially appointed as the full-time captain yet, and the position is still open to everyone.

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