If given an opportunity, it will be an honour to lead India: Jasprit Bumrah

New Delhi: India pacer Jasprit Bumrah on Monday said that he would be honoured if he is deemed worthy of leading the country, but it is not something he is chasing.

India and South Africa will lock horns in a three-match ODI series, with the first match set to be played on Wednesday in Paarl. Earlier, the Proteas had defeated India 2-1 in the Test series.

“For me, I am ready to contribute in whatever position and way I can. If given an opportunity to lead India, you will think about it. It is not something that I like to chase, I like to do my work, however, I can do the job. Me having a post or not does not really matter. That has always been my process and what I look to do. If given an opportunity, there is a no bigger honour than this but yeah, I try to focus on how I can contribute,” said Bumrah during a virtual press conference.

“For me, the role does not change at all. I have to do my job and I will be helping KL Rahul as much as I can whenever he needs assistance. Even when I am not the vice-captain, I try to help the younger guys and I have a lot of discussions with them regarding having a particular field,” added Bumrah who will be the vice-captain of India ODI team for the series against South Africa.

Further talking about his role as vice-captain, Bumrah said: “You always want the responsibility. If there is no responsibility or pressure, you would not enjoy the game. I try to manage the responsibility and contribute to the side’s cause. I am a keen learner, when I came into the team, I always asked questions. I try to help out the youngsters and eradicate their doubts. Sometimes I also end up learning from them.”

When asked about how he would approach the ODIs against South Africa, Bumrah said: “Obviously you have to move forward, it is a different format of the game. The pace of the game changes, the load on the body reduces as well. It is a shorter format, faster pace. As a bowler, you have to quickly assess and vary your pace accordingly.”

Talking about pacer Mohammed Siraj’s fitness, Bumrah said: “I think he is fine, he is practicing with us. I do not see any discomfort, hopefully that stays that way. Nothing I am aware of right now but everyone seems to be okay. Hopefully, that stays that way.”

When asked about whether India would look at SA ODIs as preparation for the 2023 World Cup, the pacer said: “There has to be a vision on which direction we want to go in. We will try to give guys an equal opportunity. Every series needs to be given importance and we will keep a vision.”