India speedster Jasprit Bumrah on Monday (January 17) said he would be honoured if he gets the opportunity to lead the country in the future but it is not something that he is chasing.
Just a couple of days ago, Virat Kohli stepped down as India’s Test captain as there is no clarity on the new skipper for the longest format yet.
Earlier, Kohli had quit India’s T20I captaincy while he was sacked as ODI skipper. Rohit Sharma, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, will lead the country in white-ball cricket going forward.
See Also: "Kohli will always be a leader in the group, pleasure to play under him," says Bumrah
"For me, I am ready to contribute in whatever position and way I can. If given an opportunity to lead India, you will think about it. It is not something that I like to chase, I like to do my work, however, I can do the job. Me having a post or not does not really matter. That has always been my process and what I look to do. If given an opportunity, there is a no bigger honour than this but yeah, I try to focus on how I can contribute," said Bumrah during a virtual press conference.
The fast bowler was addressing the media ahead of the ODI series against South Africa, starting January 19 in Paarl.
In Rohit’s absence, KL Rahul will lead in the 50-over format while Bumrah will play the role of vice-captain.
"For me, the role does not change at all. I have to do my job and I will be helping KL Rahul as much as I can whenever he needs assistance. Even when I am not the vice-captain, I try to help the younger guys and I have a lot of discussions with them regarding having a particular field," Bumrah added.
Further talking about his role as vice-captain, the fast bowler said: "You always want the responsibility. If there is no responsibility or pressure, you would not enjoy the game. I try to manage the responsibility and contribute to the side's cause. I am a keen learner, when I came into the team, I always asked questions. I try to help out the youngsters and eradicate their doubts. Sometimes I also end up learning from them."
Team India are coming into the ODI series on the back of a 2-1 Test series defeat to South Africa.
Talking about his approach for ODIs, Bumrah said: "Obviously you have to move forward, it is a different format of the game. The pace of the game changes, the load on the body reduces as well. It is a shorter format, faster pace. As a bowler, you have to quickly assess and vary your pace accordingly."
When asked about fellow pacer Mohammed Siraj's fitness, Bumrah said: "I think he is fine, he is practicing with us. I do not see any discomfort, hopefully that stays that way. Nothing I am aware of right now but everyone seems to be okay. Hopefully, that stays that way."
(With ANI inputs)
