Jasprit Bumrah, who was part of the Indian cricket team which played against Nepal in Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, has flown back to Mumbai to see his new-born son. His wife Sanjana Ganesan delivered the couple’s first child on Sunday.
“Our little family has grown & our hearts are fuller than we could ever imagine! This morning we welcomed our little boy, Angad Jasprit Bumrah into the world. We are over the moon and can’t wait for everything this new chapter of our lives brings with it ?? - Jasprit and Sanjana”, the couple posted on social media.
Bumrah is not the first cricketer to embrace fatherhood for the first time while playing for their country on an ‘away’ tournament. Some ‘first-time fathers’ promptly returned home, like Bumrah, to welcome the new additions to their families, while others waited to complete their professional commitments before taking the first look at their little ones.
In 2015, MS Dhoni, the then Team India skipper, got a text message about the birth of his daughter Ziva, but he opted to complete the World Cup tournament in Australia before heading home, saying: “I am on national duties, so I think everything else can wait.”
Five years later, another Indian cricket captain was in the same position, but Virat Kohli put his family before his profession and returned to India immediately to see his new-born daughter.
In 2018, the current captain Rohit Sharma also returned home to be with his wife (Ritika Sajdeh) and baby girl, missing the Sydney Test in the process.
Bumrah’s return for the birth of his first child has sparked some criticism in the media.
“@Jaspritbumrah93 kuch to sharam karle. Pahle injury ka bahana karke bahar tha. Ab biwi aur bacche ke chakkar me match nhi khel raha hai,” said one fan on social media.
Another fan backed Bumrah saying, “Let us respect their individual choices as these moments are deeply personal, we can’t truly fathom the emotions they carry.” Bumrah is expected to return for the Super Stage of the tournament.
