Bumrah has always been in our leadership group, says Rohit

Bengaluru: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday vindicated Jasprit Bumrah's promotion as the vice-captain for the three-Test series against New Zealand, terming the lead pacer as an integral part of the leadership group who has a lot of "understanding" of the game.

Bumrah's elevation to vice-captaincy for the Test series, beginning here on Wednesday, came as a bit of surprise as India did not have a deputy to Rohit in the recent series against Bangladesh.

The decision has been viewed as a precursor to Bumrah stepping in as India's skipper during the tour of Australia.

Rohit is set to miss at least one Test Down Under due to personal reasons.

"Look, Bumrah has played a lot of cricket. I've played a lot of cricket with him. He understands the game pretty well. He's got a good head on his shoulders. When you talk to him, he understands the game," Rohit told reporters during his pre-match press meet after rain hampered India's training session.

"Tactically, I can't say much because he has not captained much. He was captain in one Test match and a couple of T20s, I guess," he added.

Bumrah had led India in the rescheduled Test against England in 2022 and marshalled the side in the T20I series against Ireland last year.

"He understands what is required. When you are in a situation where you need a leader to step up, I think Bumrah will be one of them. So, over the past, he's always been in our leadership group," said Rohit.

The 37-year-old said his premier pacer has seamlessly moved to the role of a mentor to the young pacers in the team.

"Whether it is speaking to the bowlers who have just come into the squad, whether it is getting internally with the team to discuss about how to move forward as a team, he's always been part of that leadership group.

"So, it's probably the right thing to just have him around and speak to the bowlers and internally discuss how to take the team forward," added Rohit.