Jasprit Bumrah to skip Bangladesh Tests? Indian Team management sends a strong message to star pacer

Team India pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah might be rested for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home next month. The Ajit Agarkar-led senior selection committee wants Jasprit Bumrah to be fit and available for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) later this year in Australia.

The Indian cricket team is currently enjoying a rare break from their busy schedule. Many regulars will participate in the Duleep Trophy 2024, with exceptions including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Bumrah. Their next assignment will be the Test series against Bangladesh.

The first Test match between India and Bangladesh will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, starting on September 19. India will conclude the series with the second Test at Green Park in Kanpur, starting on September 27. The upcoming Test series is part of the WTC 2023-25 cycle.

Jasprit Bumrah Knows His Body The Best - BCCI Source

There were speculations that Jasprit Bumrah might return for the Test series against Bangladesh. However, team management and selectors prefer he is fully fit for the Australia tour. As per the PTI report, Bumrah is expected to be next seen in action in the three-match Test series against New Zealand.

A BCCI source told PTI that Jasprit Bumrah will decide if he wants to play in the Bangladesh Tests. Bumrah is expected to play in the New Zealand series at home to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will be played in Australia.

"In case of Bumrah, he knows his body the best and it will be up to him if he wants to play in the Tests against Bangladesh. The team management and selectors are very clear that India needs a 120 percent fit Jasprit Bumrah for all five Tests against Australia Down Under. Before that, there is New Zealand in India, where he will probably play and get ready for the sterner tests," a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Jasprit Bumrah has been on a break following India's T20 World Cup 2024 victory. He was named Player of the Tournament for his performance. The right-arm pacer took 15 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 4.17. Bumrah missed the T20I series in Zimbabwe and the white-ball series in Sri Lanka.

Bumrah last played a Test match against England during the five-match series at home earlier this year. The 30-year-old cricketer took 19 wickets in four Test matches against England at an impressive average of 16.89 and a strike rate of 32.79. The Indian team won the five-match series by a margin of 4-1.

Young bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed might make their Test debut if Bumrah skips the Bangladesh series. Arshdeep, who played a key role in India's T20 World Cup 2024 win, is in contention to make his Test debut. The left-arm pace bowler also gained experience with county cricket in Kent last year.

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