Jasprit Bumrah confirms his availability for the upcoming Asia Cup ahead of the crucial squad selection meeting in Mumbai.
Jasprit Bumrah Confirms Availability for Asia Cup Ahead of Squad Selection
Ajit Agarkar and the All India Men’s Senior Selection Committee will meet on Tuesday, August 19, to finalize the 15-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup. Ahead of this crucial meeting, pacer Jasprit Bumrah has confirmed his availability for the eight-team tournament starting September 9. This comes as a major boost for head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
According to the Indian Express, Jasprit Bumrah has already informed the selectors of his willingness to participate, making his inclusion in the squad almost certain. “Bumrah has informed the selectors that he will be available for the Asia Cup selection. The selection committee will discuss it during their meeting next week,” a source told the publication.
India will open their Asia Cup campaign on September 10 against the UAE, with the high-profile clash against Pakistan scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. Group A includes India, UAE, Pakistan, and Oman, while Group B features Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.
Since the conclusion of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, Bumrah has faced criticism from former players for not participating in all five Tests. It was previously clarified that he would play only three matches due to workload management. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old came under scrutiny after India’s win at the Oval without him, especially as Mohammed Siraj played all five games.
Bumrah was released from the Test squad before Day 2 of the fifth Test at the Oval, having featured in the first Test at Headingley, the third at Lord’s, and the fourth in Manchester. Across the series, he bowled 119.4 overs, claiming two five-wicket hauls.
Jasprit Bumrah injury concerns
Bumrah, the world’s No. 1 Test bowler, featured in all five Tests against Australia during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. However, he suffered a back spasm in the final Test in Sydney, ruling him out of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, which India went on to win.
The pacer also missed the opening matches of the IPL 2025 season for the Mumbai Indians. On Saturday, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar, writing for the Hindustan Times, argued that team management should consider looking beyond Bumrah if he is unavailable for all matches in a series.
“If he cannot play more than two matches in a row or sometimes even more than one, he must not be your frontline pick. Players who are match-fit, eager, and keen to perform should be chosen over a highly skilled player any day. It will motivate such enthusiastic players even more,” Manjrekar wrote. He added, “This is not an idealistic position to take, but it’s the right one for the long-term health of a team sport.”