 |
|
Suresh Raina, a former Indian cricketer, has expressed his belief that Jasprit Bumrah possesses the leadership qualities to guide the Indian team in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is set to commence on November 22nd. With India's regular captain, Rohit Sharma, likely to miss the first Test due to family commitments, Bumrah emerges as a potential replacement to lead the side. This news comes after India suffered a recent defeat in the Test series against New Zealand.
In an interview with Times of India, Raina lauded Bumrah's leadership potential, stating, “For Bumrah, it’s going to be a new opportunity. I think he is a good leader and has a good cricketing brain. Even Gauti bhai (coach Gautam Gambhir) said in the media that Jasprit has astute leadership (quality), and I think he will be different. Like if you see Pat Cummins, he won the World Cup for them (Australia), has done really well as a player and as a captain”.
Raina further emphasized Bumrah's potential, adding, “I think Bumrah is close to that. If you look at it from the point of an opportunity, it’s a gun opportunity for him. If he does well, I think we will have a future leader in Test cricket.” Bumrah has previously led the Indian team on two occasions, first during the 2022 tour of England and again in August 2023, where he captained a young Indian team to victory in a T20I series against Ireland.
With Rohit Sharma's absence, the onus will likely fall on Bumrah to steer the Indian team towards success in the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Raina's endorsement adds weight to the possibility of Bumrah assuming the captaincy role, particularly considering his previous leadership experiences and the high regard he holds amongst his peers. The upcoming series promises to be a fierce battle, with Bumrah's performance as captain potentially shaping the future of Indian Test cricket leadership.