New Delhi: Jasprit Bumrah, India’s star fast bowler, has been named the vice-captain for the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand, marking a significant step in his leadership journey. This decision suggests the possibility of Bumrah stepping into the captain’s role during the five-match Test series against Australia, as regular captain Rohit Sharma may miss one or more of those matches due to personal reasons.
The Test series against New Zealand begins on November 16 in Bengaluru, followed by matches in Pune and Mumbai. With Rohit potentially absent from the first two Test matches in Australia, starting November 22 in Perth, Bumrah could be the natural choice to lead India. The team recently opted not to name a vice-captain during their home series against Bangladesh, further indicating Bumrah’s rising leadership role.
Bumrah has prior captaincy experience, having led India in the rescheduled fifth Test against England in 2022 and the T20I series against Ireland in 2023. He has been in exceptional form since his return from injury, reclaiming the No. 1 ICC ranking for bowlers and taking 42 wickets in eight Tests at an average of 14.69. His overall Test record includes 170 wickets in 38 matches, with a remarkable average of 20.18.
The Indian squad for the New Zealand series retains most players from the Bangladesh series, with Yash Dayal missing out due to a shoulder injury. Mohammed Shami continues to recover from an ankle surgery and remains unavailable for selection. In addition to Bumrah’s vice-captaincy, young players like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Mayank Yadav have been named as travelling reserves, emphasizing the team’s focus on developing future talents.
India’s squad for the series is as follows: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep.
