Is Jasprit Bumrah getting more rest than his teammates?

There was a time when it was said that the Indian national cricket team did not have as good bowlers compared to teams like Australia and Pakistan, which had lethal pace attacks with players like Akhtar, Johnson, and Lee. But in recent times, it would not be wrong to say that Indian bowlers are among the best in the world, with pace, swing, and accuracy that can dismantle any batter. However, this transformation was only possible due to the leadership of Jasprit Bumrah, who has played a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign with his accurate bowling. He was the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament, bagging 15 wickets in 8 games with a bowling economy of 4.17. His match-winning spells against Pakistan and South Africa were among the best so far in the marquee event, where he showcased his bowling prowess by breaking partnerships and helping the Men in Blue win the matches from difficult situations.

Meanwhile, after his brilliant performance for the Indian team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa, the star player has been absent from the Indian team for the last 2 months. He was not included in the squads for the series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, as well as India’s domestic tournament, the Duleep Trophy. Despite being a brilliant match-winner for the Indian national team in all formats, the right-arm bowler has been given more rest than the other players on the team, which has become a big concern for the Indian team. 

In Bumrah’s absence, the Men in Blue lost the 1st T20I against Zimbabwe and the ODI series against Sri Lanka due to their inexperienced bowling lineup. In Bumrah’s absence, India faced two embarrassing defeats against a team that failed to qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and a team that has been struggling with form for the last 2 years. Looking ahead to India’s upcoming busy Test schedule, where they will play home games against Bangladesh followed by New Zealand before traveling to Australia for the Border Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah’s fitness is crucial for the Indian national team. 

However, preserving him from injuries may not be the best decision. This is because he has been out of action, and giving extended rest to one of the finest players for a long period can impact his performance in terms of finding the right length and areas to bowl, which we may see in the upcoming Bangladesh Test series starting from 19th September 2024.

Rohit and the team will be playing a 2-Test match series against Bangladesh in Chennai and Kanpur. Apart from Bumrah and Jadeja, all the Indian cricketers have played in the series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. However, Bumrah has been given some extra rest compared to other players. The reason could be his brilliant performance in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he finished the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker for the Men in Blue, bagging 15 wickets in 8 games with an economy rate of 4. Or, it could be to preserve him for important matches against Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy, balancing his workload management.

Irrespective of this, Bumrah is India’s pride and one of the best bowlers in the cricket world, who can single-handedly change the momentum of the game with his impeccable bowling.

Throwing light on this, Virat Kohli also praised Bumrah after his match-winning spell against South Africa, which helped the Men in Blue end their 17-year title drought.

You know what I’d like everyone to do is applaud a guy who brought us back into games again and again and again in this tournament. What he did in those last five overs, bowling two out of the last five overs, was phenomenal. A huge round of applause for Jasprit Bumrah, please…” 

It will be interesting to see how India’s best bowler will perform after a break of 2 months in the upcoming 2-match Test series against Bangladesh starting from 19th September 2024 in Chennai.