India pacer Jasprit Bumrah talked about his favorite captain. He also hailed Rohit Sharma for the support and guidance he got during the early part of his career, while lauding Virat Kohli for being an out and out leader.
Speaking at an event, Jasprit Bumrah was asked to name his favorite captain, and given that he played under three of the best captains thus far in MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, people were eager to hear his answer.
Surprisingly, Jasprit Bumrah picked himself as his favorite captain. Notably, Bumrah has captained India in one Test and a handful of ODIs.
"My favorite captain is me because I have captained a few games. Obviously, there are great captains, but I will take my name. I am my favorite captain," Bumrah told The Indian Express.
On a more serious note, he credited Rohit Sharma for his leadership qualities, highlighting his role in the home Test series against England where India was forced to field several newbies.
"In the recent England series, when the youngsters came, Rohit made the atmosphere very comfortable. He took extra effort; he will take them out; he will talk to them about the game; he will try and push them to take the responsibility, as the youngsters should think all are equally important; there is no senior or junior," Bumrah said.
Praising Rohit as a bowler's captain, Bumrah mentioned how he helped him in his early days in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"A captain needs to have empathy towards bowlers and Rohit Sharma is one of the few captains who has empathy for bowlers. Playing in the IPL as well, I even used to go and tell Rohit 'You set the field, I am going to bowl this ball. You set the field, and I trust you in whatever you feel is right. You set the field'," Bumrah revealed.
Bumrah also reserved great praise for Virat Kohli under whom the Indian team achieved great heights in Test cricket. Bumrah lauded Kohli for the fierce energy and passion he brings to the team.
Bumrah said. "Virat is energy-driven. He is quite passionate and wears his heart on his sleeves. He pushed us in terms of fitness. He changed the narrative that way. Even though Virat is not the captain, he is still the leader."
