Ravi Shastri Wants India to Carefully Manage Jasprit Bumrah’s Workload
Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the ODI series against New Zealand. With the World Cup being less than a year away, this has raised some serious questions on his availability. However, former Indian coach, Ravi Shastri, has shared his views on the same.
The availability of Jasprit Bumrah has been a major concern for the Indian selectors over the last few months. Noting the fact that the World Cup and World Test Championship final are less than a year away, they will have to manage his workload accordingly.
When the team for the India tour of New Zealand was announced, he was named only in the Test squad. This has raised some questions, as he is still not a part of the ODI team with the World Cup set to take place next year. He played two ODIs for India against England, and eventually got injured again.
However, Ravi Shastri has spoken about his availability for the Indian team. He said, “I don't think he (Jasprit Bumrah) should play all three formats until the World Cup. He should focus primarily on Test cricket and feature sporadically in ODIs and T20Is. I'd rather preserve him for the two Tests in New Zealand, where he'll be crucial.”
Our Take
Jasprit Bumrah has been a key bowler for the Indian team. But he has been prone to injuries often, which has forced the selectors and management to get his workload according to the same. As the team prepares for the two key events, his availability will be important in both of them. And now every match remains crucial for the Indian team in the World Test Championship cycle, making the New Zealand series critical.