MS Dhoni had never captained any side before leading India, says Jasprit Bumrah ahead of captaincy debut
India Today
Jasprit Bumrah revealed having a chat with former skipper MS Dhoni, who started off with no captaincy experience but went on to achieve monumental success as India captain.
Jasprit Bumrah, India's captain for fifth Test, is seeking inspiration from the talismanic MS Dhoni to calm himself down ahead of his captaincy debut in the longest format of the game.
Bumrah only got to know that he will be captaining the Indian team on Thursday morning after Rohit Sharma returned another positive test for COVID-19, ruling him out of the game.
Taking on an in-form England side will be a big challenge but Bumrah is up for it.
"The taste of success feels good when there is pressure. I am always up for responsibilities and I love to be in tough challenges. As a cricketer, you always want to test yourself in deep waters. I have spoken to many cricketers. Everybody improves and keep getting better," he said on the eve of the game.
"I remember speaking to MS (Dhoni), and he told me that he never captained any side before he led India for the first time. Now, he is remembered as one of the most successful captains of all time.
"So, I am focusing on how I can help the team and not focusing on what I have done before or how the cricketing conventions or the rules have been set."
It is rare for a fast bowler to lead the Indian team and Bumrah said it was a massive honour and responsibility. The pacer has experienced meteoric rise in international cricket, including the five-day version in which he is only four seasons old, having made his Test debut in January 2018.
