The competition to fill in for India skipper Rohit Sharma in the next Asia Cup 2023 and the ICC ODI World Cup at home later this year is reportedly being led by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. Bumrah is captaining a backup Indian squad against Ireland in a current three-match T20I series, while Hardik has been guiding the T20I team in Rohit’s absence since the most recent T20 World Cup.
Ahead of this year’s two major tournaments, both of India’s best players are in the lead for vice-captaincy. Bumrah may have a little advantage over the all-rounder, according to a report in the news agency PTI, since he previously captained India in the fifth Test against England that was postponed because Rohit wasn’t entirely healthy.
After being out for over a year owing to a back ailment, Bumrah himself only recently made his return. The 29-year-old needed surgery after suffering a stress fracture in his back, but he made his much anticipated return in the first T20I of the series against Ireland, helping the Men in Blue to a 2-run victory using the DLS system.
Bumrah led the Test squad in 2022, putting him ahead of Pandya in terms of leadership seniority. Prior to Pandya, he served as the vice-captain during the ODI tour of South Africa, a BCCI source with knowledge of the situation informed PTI on the condition of anonymity.
“Don’t be shocked if Bumrah replaces Rohit as the ODI captain for the World Cup and the Asia Cup. There is a reason he was appointed Ireland’s captain rather than Ruturaj, the PTI source said.
The BCCI is attempting to control the workload of the Hitman since Rohit turned 36 earlier this year, and as a result, he hasn’t featured in a single T20I match since the T20 World Cup 2022 quarterfinal against England.
Pandya has successfully led the Indian squad, however he recently captained them in a maiden bilateral (T20I) series against the West Indies, where they lost a five-match series 3-2 after rallying from a 0-2 deficit.
Many previous cricket players have criticized Pandya for using bowlers like Axar Patel and Mukesh Kumar during various parts of the games against the West Indies. It is unclear if he would be selected as captain or whether Bumrah will be given the vice-captaincy.
On Monday, August 21, the BCCI is anticipated to unveil India’s roster for the Asia Cup 2023, according to a previous report by Cricketnext.