Team India pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah could be rested for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home next month. The senior selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar wants Jasprit Bumrah to be fit and available for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) later this year in Australia.
The Indian cricket team is currently enjoying a rare break from its busy schedule. Many regular players will be taking part in the 2024 Duleep Trophy, with exceptions being Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and Bumrah. Their next assignment will be the Test series against Bangladesh.
The first Test match between India and Bangladesh will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, starting from September 19. India will conclude the series with the second Test at Green Park in Kanpur, starting from September 27. The upcoming Test series is part of the 2023-25 WTC cycle.
Jasprit Bumrah knows his body best – BCCI Source
There were speculations that Jasprit Bumrah might return for the Test series against Bangladesh. However, the team management and selectors prefer him to be fully fit for the tour of Australia. As per the PTI report, Bumrah is expected to return to play in the three-match Test series against New Zealand.
A BCCI source told PTI that Jasprit Bumrah will decide whether he wants to play in the Bangladesh Tests. Bumrah is expected to play in the New Zealand home series to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will be played in Australia.
“In Bumrah’s case, he knows his body best and it will be up to him if he wants to play in the Tests against Bangladesh. The team management and selectors are very clear that India needs Jasprit Bumrah to be 120 per cent fit for the five Tests against Australia Down Under. Before that, there is New Zealand in India, where he will probably play and prepare for the tougher Tests,” a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.
Jasprit Bumrah has been on a break following India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win. He was named Player of the Tournament for his performance. The right-arm spinner took 15 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 4.17. Bumrah missed the T20I series in Zimbabwe and the white-ball series in Sri Lanka.
Bumrah last played a Test match against England during the five-match home series earlier this year. The 30-year-old cricketer took 19 wickets in four Test matches against England at an impressive average of 16.89 and a strike rate of 32.79. The Indian team won the five-match series by a 4-1 margin.
Young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed could make their Test debuts if Bumrah skips the Bangladesh series. Arshdeep, who played a key role in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win, is in with a chance of making his Test debut. The left-arm pace bowler also gained experience with county cricket at Kent last year.
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