On Tuesday, August 19, India unveiled their 15-man roster for the forthcoming Asia Cup, which will be contested in the UAE from September 9 to 28. The selection committee, lead by Ajit Agarkar, chose a formidable team as India seeks a record-extending ninth triumph.
Following the team release, Ajit Agarkar, India’s top selector and skipper Suryakumar Yadav, held a news conference. One of the most talked-about aspects of the team announcement was the return of Jasprit Bumrah to the T20I lineup for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa in June.
Ajit Agarkar stated that there is no set plan for Bumrah’s workload management.
The former India pacer stated that the Men in Blue will look to use the 31-year-old’s talents on all key tasks.
“I don’t think there’s any written plan. Been a nice break after the England series. Physios, team management been in touch. Clearly, we want him available for all the big games. There are WCs, CT, big series like England, Australia – you want him available. Because he’s picked up injuries over the last 2-3 years, because of how special and unique it is – it won’t change. Based on how he’s feeling and how we require him, we hope he’s available more often than not,” Agarkar said in the press conference.
It was recently reported that Bumrah had informed the selectors that he was willing to represent India in the Asia Cup. Apart from Bumrah, the squad also includes Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana as specialist seamers. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube are the pace-bowling all-rounders in the side. In the spin-bowling department, India have Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel in their ranks.
Talking about Bumrah, the experienced pacer had played just three out of the five Tests against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He was criticised by a few experts and fans for picking and choosing matches. However, the team management was keen on managing his workload for future assignments. With Bumrah back in the fray in the shortest format, India’s chances of retaining the Asia Cup look promising.
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