In a recent interview with The Indian Express, Bumrah reflected upon the captains he has played under and how each of them remained unique in their own way.
While it seems he has been with the Indian team for eternity, the 30-year-old fast bowler has only played 36 Tests so far and is yet to touch the mark of hundred caps in ODIs and T20Is — blame it on the Covid-forced break and trouble with his back. However, it puts his sublime skills and willingness to learn quickly into perspective.
Bumrah credits that learning to what each of the captains he has played under brought to the team.
“Rohit is one of the few captains who has empathy towards bowlers, despite being a batsman. He understands players’ emotions and knows what a player is going through. Rohit is not rigid, he is open to feedback,” Bumrah told the newspaper about the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning skipper.
Bumrah made his debut under Dhoni in an ODI in Sydney against Australia in January 2016 and gives credit to Dhoni for making him feel secure once his Indian Premier League heroics earned him an India call-up.
“MS (Dhoni) gave me a lot of security, quickly,” he said, suggesting that it helped him find his feet in the international arena. “He has a lot of faith in his instinct, and doesn’t believe in a lot of planning.”
Talking about Kohli as skipper, Bumrah credited him for putting a lot of emphassis on fitness. He said Kohli continues to lead the team in certain ways, while Rohit was the all-format designated skipper before retiring from the T20Is post the World Cup earlier this year.
Rohit now leads in Tests and ODIs, while Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed the skipper for T20Is.
“Virat is energy-driven, passionate, wears his heart on his sleeve,” said Bumrah. “He pushed us in terms of fitness and changed the narrative that way. Now Virat is not the captain, but he is still a leader. Captaincy is a post, but a team is run by 11 people.”