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Ajay Jadeja questions Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management ahead of India’s Asia Cup opener against UAE, while Irfan Pathan urges full participation.
Jasprit Bumrah last played a white-ball game in June 2024 (Picture credit: AFP)
Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja has said that, having kept ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah wrapped in cotton wool on most occasions, there is no need to play him against the hosts UAE in India’s Asia Cup opener on Wednesday, raising questions on the team’s workload management policy.
Bumrah is all set to return to international white-ball action on Wednesday for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Since that tournament, he has only featured in Tests and was rested for all bilateral T20I series.
Bumrah dealt with a minor niggle towards the end of the England tour. Jadeja opined that if the Indian team is serious about managing the former’s workload, they shouldn’t feature him in games against associate nations.
“What is the need to play Bumrah tomorrow, man? Usually, you keep him wrapped in cotton wool. Now you need him even against the UAE? Either don’t protect him at all, or if you need to preserve him, then do it in this type of match,” Jadeja said while speaking on Sony Sports.
“Logic dictates that, but we never do things with logic. I will go on strike if Bumrah plays,” Jadeja added.
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, however, implied that since Bumrah is selected to play the Asia Cup, he should play it in its entirety.
“You need to protect Bumrah, I understand. But my opinion is and I have said this during the England tour as well, that if you have come to play a series, then you have to play it completely,” Irfan said.
“You haven’t come into a series for recovery or management, you have come to play,” Irfan added.
Bumrah is all set to feature in a T20 edition of the Asia Cup for the second time in his career.
For the UAE, it will be the biggest game for a lot of players. Facing a Bumrah or bowling to a Shubman Gill is not a common occurrence in the life of an Associate nation cricketer and the Asia Cup does bring them closer to elite environments.
September 10, 2025, 15:48 IST
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