Jasprit Bumrah, India’s lead fast bowler, had once expressed himself clearly as to his aspirations to one day lead the national team, inspired by legends of the game like Kapil Dev and Imran Khan, who led their respective teams quite brilliantly. However, former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has junked the idea of Bumrah becoming India’s skipper. Much speculation did come out claiming that Bumrah could be the next T20I captain once Rohit Sharma announced his retirement, but it went on to Suryakumar Yadav.

Although Bumrah does have spells in bits as a captain, like in 2021, when India played against England in the rescheduled Test, and once again when he led the team in a T20I series against Ireland last year, one can’t deny his leadership abilities.

Dinesh Karthik felt that Bumrah’s first priority should be to ensure that he remains fit. “The workload of a fast bowler with the additional responsibility of captaincy might prove too much to handle,” said Karthik.

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“For a fast bowler like Bumrah, his fitness needs to be monitored and he should be protected for longevity in his career,” Dinesh Karthik said in an interaction with Cricbuzz. I keep saying this about Bumrah, he’s like a Kohinoor diamond. We have to take care of him and make sure he plays in crucial matches where his impact is undeniable. Whenever Bumrah plays in any format, he makes a difference, and that’s what India needs.

He further went on to explain the issue of burdening Bumrah in all formats, saying that although Bumrah had all the qualities of a good leader in calmness, maturity, and composure, the physical toll of fast bowling makes it very difficult for any fast bowler to play consistently in all three formats. This may be one of the major reasons why the selectors did not burden him with additional responsibility.

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Bumrah has not featured in any game since the T20 WC 2024, but he was brilliant in the mega-event taking 15 wickets and winning the Player of the Tournament award. Bumrah became the first player who won this award in a T20 World Cup without scoring a run; joined the likes of Australian duo Glenn McGrath and Mitchell Starc as one among the few bowlers to feature in ICC events.