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Proving all the speculations right, Jasprit Bumrah has not been selected for India’s upcoming multi-format series against Afghanistan. India will face Afghanistan for a one-off Test followed by a 3-match ODI series.
For this assignment, on May 19, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for both of the formats. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is all set to miss the entire series.
Ajit Agarkar explains the reason behind the snub of Jasprit Bumrah
During the press conference, while the Ajit Agakar-led committee was announcing the squads, questions were raised as they left out the star pacer. Agarkar mentioned that they put Jasprit Bumrah outside the teams because of his workload management, and he will be back in action again when the Men in Blue tour England.
“Bumrah will be back when we tour England. He is working on his workload,” Agarkar said while speaking to the media.
Jasprit Bumrah's workload management is under the scanner
Jasprit Bumrah had to play back-to-back matches in multiple formats for India as there was the ICC T20I World Cup. Bumrah played relentlessly during the tournament. With a short break after the inclusion of the tournament, he had to join the Mumbai Indians for the IPL 2026 season. Like Team India, Bumrah is a key asset for the Mumbai Indians as well.
IPL 2026 witnessed a rare bad patch of the premier pacer. Bumrah took his first wicket of IPL 2026 on April 20, dismissing Gujarat Titans' opener Sai Sudharshan for a golden duck. He took the wicket during his 6th match of the season after a 5-match wicketless.
The seamer, who is mostly known for his mastery over line and length, leaked extra runs as well. A poor form of Jasprit Bumrah forced some of the cricket fans to raise concerns over his workload management. Bumrah has a history of back issues as well. To protect the key bowler, the board has already introduced a specially designed workload management programme for him. The main reason behind managing Bumrah's workload is to make him available for the important tournaments.
For the one-off Test match against the Afghanistan cricket team, both Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj have been rested. In the absence of the dou, Prasidh Krishna will be in charge of leading the pace bowling line-up.
Bumrah will be back for the England series
India will travel to England for a 5-match T20I series, followed by a 3-match ODI series. As Ajit Agarkar mentioned, Jasprit Bumrah will be back in the team again during the crucial series.
India Men tour of England 2026 schedule
- July 1: 1st T20I – Banks Homes Riverside, Durham, 11 PM IST
- July 4: 2nd T20I – Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, 7 PM IST
- July 7: 3rd T20I – Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 11 PM IST
- July 9: 4th T20I – Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol, 11 PM IST
- July 11: 5th T20I – Utilita Bowl, Southampton, 11 PM IST
- July 14: 1st ODI – Edgbaston, Birmingham, 5:30 PM IST
- July 16: 2nd ODI – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, 5:30 PM IST
- July 19: 3rd ODI – Lord’s, London, 3:30 PM IST
