Ajit Agarkar wanted Ruturaj Gaikwad to captain India for 2023 Ireland T20I series over Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo source: BCCI)

Ajit Agarkar wanted Ruturaj Gaikwad to captain India for the three-match T20I series against Ireland in August 2023, preferring him over Jasprit Bumrah for the leadership role. The BCCI, however, intervened and appointed Bumrah as captain, citing his own keenness to take on the responsibility. Gaikwad was named vice-captain for the same series.

According to The Telegraph, the disagreement between the selector and the board came into public view. India had assembled a second-string squad for the Ireland tour, which made it a practical opportunity to hand leadership experience to a younger candidate.

Agarkar’s preference for Gaikwad was rooted in workload management. Bumrah had been sidelined since September 2022 due to injury, and the chief selector was cautious about placing the additional burden of captaincy on him during what was effectively a comeback series. Agarkar believed that keeping Bumrah free of leadership duties would allow him to focus entirely on his bowling as he returned to competitive cricket.

Why did Agarkar back Gaikwad for the captaincy?

Gaikwad’s credentials as a leader had already been recognised at the time. He had been named captain of India’s squad for the T20 competition at the 2023 Asian Games, an appointment that gave Agarkar a clear basis for backing him to lead the Ireland T20I side as well. With a second-string squad assembled for the tour, the series presented a low-risk setting in which Gaikwad could be tested at the international level.

Agarkar’s concern about Bumrah was specific rather than general. The injury layoff that began in September 2022 had kept Bumrah out of cricket for an extended period, and the chief selector’s position was that a returning fast bowler of his importance should not simultaneously carry the weight of captaincy. The logic was straightforward: protect Bumrah’s fitness and let Gaikwad develop his leadership credentials in a suitable environment.

What did the BCCI decide and what was the outcome of the series?

The BCCI set aside Agarkar’s recommendation and confirmed Bumrah as captain for the Ireland T20I series. The board’s stated reasoning was Bumrah’s own desire to lead, and the appointment marked the first occasion on which he captained India in T20 internationals. The series ran from August 18 to August 23, 2023.

India won the series 2-0, with one match producing no result. Gaikwad remained part of the squad in the vice-captain’s role throughout the tour. The episode stands as an early instance in which the BCCI’s position on captaincy differed from that of the chief selector, though both Bumrah and Gaikwad continued to feature prominently in India’s plans in the period that followed.

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