Jasprit Bumrah missing another series has again raised questions about India’s workload management. But former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes the decision to protect him is an obvious one.
Aakash Chopra said if you have a player like Jasprit Bumrah, why risk him just to make him play every match?
Bumrah picked up an impact injury and reactive swelling in his left knee during India’s ODI series against England.
He received an injection and went through rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, but discomfort remained.
That eventually ruled him out of the Sri Lanka Test series, with Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi replacing him.
India can obviously play without Bumrah. But should that mean they should keep pushing him whenever he is available?
Aakash Chopra believes the answer is no. If you have a genius like Jasprit Bumrah, and if his body needs some rest, if his workload needs to be managed, why would you not do it?
Reports have even suggested that Indian cricket may have to prepare for a future where Bumrah is used mainly in T20Is after the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The CoE is reportedly being careful with his workload and has not given a return timeline.
So, should India accept Bumrah’s absence now to protect him for the years that matter most?
