Written by Vaibhav Tripathi
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and dynamic all-rounder Hardik Pandya are the front-runners for the vice-captaincy role in Asia Cup and ODI World Cup 2023.
This speculation gains prominence in anticipation of crucial upcoming tournaments, notably the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup, the latter commencing from October 5 in India. Hardik Pandya, who has already been entrusted with the captaincy for T20Is, could face competition from Bumrah, who recently marked a strong comeback to international cricket in the first of the three T20Is against Ireland.
As per PTI, Bumrah seems to hold an advantage in terms of seniority, owing to his prior experience as the Test captain in 2022. Furthermore, Bumrah’s previous stint as the vice-captain in ODIs during the South Africa tour adds weight to his credentials in comparison to Pandya.
“If you look in terms of leadership seniority, Bumrah is ahead of Pandya as he captained the Test team in 2022. He has also been ODI vice-captain before Pandya during the ODI tour of South Africa. Don’t be surprised if you see Bumrah being made ODI deputy to Rohit for both Asia Cup and World Cup. There is a reason why he was handed captaincy in Ireland instead of Ruturaj,” a source told PTI.
Clarity will emerge regarding the matter upon the BCCI’s announcement of India’s squad for the 2023 Asia Cup on August 21 in New Delhi.