All eyes are on Jasprit Bumrah’s involvement in the lengthy tour as Team India leaves for their eagerly awaited five-match Test series against England on June 5. Before the squad left Mumbai, head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke to the media, highlighting Jasprit Bumrah erratic availability and the team’s strategy for handling his workload during the series.
Even though Jasprit Bumrah is India’s preferred player, he has a history of injuries. He recently experienced a stress response in his lower back while playing Australia in Sydney for the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. He missed over three months of activity due to the injury, including the ICC Champions Trophy campaign, where India won without his help.
The 31-year-old has played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 since he returned to cricket. He missed the first four games in order to concentrate on his conditioning and recuperation. To avoid any injuries during the forthcoming tour, the BCCI has been closely monitoring his workload in conjunction with the medical team. The number and type of matches that Bumrah would play have not yet been decided, Gautam Gambhir said.
Which three games will he play? We haven’t answered that call. Depending on the series, we will also have a conversation with him. The outcome of the series and its direction will determine a lot. According to ESPNcricinfo, Gambhir stated during the pre-departure press conference, “That is something that I am sure he is very well aware of as well, and that is important.”
In Jasprit Bumrah absence, Gill supports other bowlers to perform.
Shubman Gill, the recently named Test captain of India, noted that although Bumrah is a significant player, the Indian team boasts a bowling lineup with a tonne of firepower that could shoulder the burden. Notably, the team is travelling with two seam-bowling all-rounders and four primary pacers in addition to Bumrah.
“I believe we have selected enough bowlers and have a sufficient pace battery. Many of our fast bowlers are in a strong position to win us Test matches from any position or circumstance. Naturally, it would be a wonderful sight for us anytime someone like Jasprit Bumrah returned to play a match for us, depending on how many matches he would play. However, I believe we have a fantastic group of bowlers who can perform well for the squad,” Gill said.
On June 20, India will begin their tour of England.
Speaking about Team India, the visitors will play Test matches at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval after starting the series at Headingley on June 20. They will first play India A in a four-day warm-up match in Beckenham from June 13 to June 16.
India
