New Delhi [India], June 17 : Indian veteran seamer Jasprit Bumrah reflected on his decision to decline the captaincy role of India's test team from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as he prioritised team stability over personal ambition.
He believed consistent leadership was crucial for the team's success in the Test series.
India's Test team is currently undergoing a transition following the retirement of several seniors. While R Ashwin called time on his career in the middle of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also decided to hang up their boots last month.
Especially with Rohit's retirement, a captaincy vacuum emerged ahead of the five-match Test series against England.
BCCI selectors opted for Shubman Gill, with chief selector Ajit Agarkar citing him as a long-term investment as a test captain.
Agarkar clarified that Bumrah's workload would be managed, implying he may not feature in all five Tests.
"Yes, the BCCI was looking at me at (for) leadership, but then I had to say no, that it's not fair for the team as well, that in a five-Test match series, three matches somebody else is leading, two matches somebody else is leading, it's not fair on the team. And I always wanted to put the team first," Jasprit Bumrah said in an interview with Sky Sports, as quoted from Wisden.
"So then I called up BCCI and said that I don't want to be looked at in a leadership role because I won't be able to play all Test matches in a five-Test match series," he added.
"There' no fancy stories to it. There is no controversy or no headlining statements like 'I was sacked' or 'I was not looked after."
Bumrah said before Rohit and Virat retired, he discussed his workload with the BCCI, considering his physical condition and the demands of a five-Test series.
He consulted with his support team and surgeon, leading to a decision to manage his workload more strategically.
"Before Rohit and Virat retired, during the IPL, I had spoken to the BCCI. I had discussed about my workloads going forward in a five-Test match series. I've spoken to the people who have managed my back, I've spoken to the surgeon as well, who's always spoken to me about how smart you have to be about the workloads. So I did speak to him and then we came to the conclusion that I have to be a little more smart."
"But yeah, captaincy meant a lot. I had worked very hard for it. But unfortunately, sometimes you have to look after the bigger picture. I love cricket more than captaincy. So I want to contribute more as a cricketer and to the Indian team as a player. Obviously, ambitions are there, but that's how it is, but I called the BCCI and said I don't want to be looked at in a leadership role," Bumrah added.
India will play a five-match Test series against England, which is part of the 2025-27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.
The series will be held from June 20 to August 4, with matches scheduled at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.
India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.