With Team India embarking for their much-anticipated five-match Test series against England on June 5, all eyes are on Jasprit Bumrah’s performance on the lengthy tour. Head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke to the media in Mumbai prior of the team’s departure, emphasising Bumrah’s unpredictable availability and how the team intends to manage his workload during the series.
Despite being India’s go-to bowler, Bumrah has a history of injuries. He recently experienced a stress reaction in his lower back while playing the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia in Sydney earlier this year. The injury sidelined him for about three months, including the ICC Champions Trophy campaign, which India won without him.
After missing the first four games to focus on his rehabilitation and conditioning, the 31-year-old has returned to cricket and played for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025. The BCCI has been in close contact with the medical staff and has continued to closely monitor his workload to avoid injury during the next tour. Gautam Gambhir emphasised that no decision had been made on how many and which matches Bumrah will play.
“We have not made a decision on which three games he will play. We’ll talk to him about that, and it will also depend on the series. Much will be determined by the series’ results and the direction it takes. That is something I am sure he is well aware of, and that is critical,” Gambhir remarked during a pre-departure press conference, as reported by.
Gill backs other bowlers to do job in Jasprit Bumrah absence
India’s newly appointed Test captain, Shubman Gill, pointed out that while Bumrah is an impactful player, the Indian squad has immense firepower in their bowling line-up that could take up the load. Notably, apart from Bumrah, the team is travelling with four main pacers and two seam-bowling all-rounders
“I think we have picked enough bowlers and we have enough pace battery and a lot of fast bowlers are in a great space to be able to win us Test matches from any situation or any position. Obviously, when you have someone like Jasprit Bumrah, depending on how many matches he would play, whenever he would come back and play the match for us, it would be a great sight for us. But I think we have a great mix of bowlers and a great set of bowlers who can get the job for the team done,” Gill concluded.
India will start their England tour on June 20
Meanwhile, speaking of Team India, the visitors will begin the series at Headingley on June 20, followed by Tests at Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford, and The Oval. Before that, they’ll play a four-day warm-up match against India A from June 13 to 16 at Beckenham.
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