The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided to include star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming India vs Afghanistan series despite his packed cricket schedule in recent months. Bumrah, who has been continuously playing since late January 2026, recently featured for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 and even made his captaincy debut during the tournament.
According to reports, the Indian team management and selectors believe there is currently no need to rest Bumrah. The pace spearhead is expected to play either the one-off Test match starting June 6 in New Chandigarh or the three-match ODI series beginning June 14.
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BCCI Monitoring Bumrah’s Workload
The BCCI has carefully managed Bumrah’s fitness over the last few years, especially considering his injury history and importance to India across formats. He was rested during parts of the England vs India Test series last year to avoid excessive workload.
After helping India defend the T20 World Cup title, Bumrah took a short three-week break before returning to competitive cricket. Since then, he has played 24 T20 matches across international cricket and the IPL without significant rest. Despite concerns surrounding fatigue, the management remains confident about his physical condition heading into the Afghanistan series.
ODIs Could Be Better Option for Bumrah
With Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2026 campaign ending on May 24, Bumrah would get less than two weeks to recover before the one-off Test if selected. Reports earlier suggested that he could be rested for the Test match because it is not part of the World Test Championship cycle.
Many believe the ODI series may be a better option for Bumrah as India starts preparing for the ODI World Cup 2027. The selectors may use the Test to experiment with other fast bowlers like Auqib Nabi, Prasidh Krishna, or Anshul Kamboj in the absence of injured pacers Harshit Rana and Akash Deep.
India’s series against Afghanistan includes a one-off Test in New Chandigarh followed by ODIs in Dharamshala, Lucknow, and Chennai.
