'Miss IPL 2025...': Dilip Vengsarkar Makes Big Comment On Jasprit Bumrah's Workload
Dilip Vengsarkar says that Jasprit Bumrah should have skipped IPL 2025 to stay fit for the crucial India vs England Test series.
Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar has said that, considering the importance of the five-match Test series against England, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah should have been asked by the BCCI to miss IPL 2025, as the debate around his workload continues to go around.
Bumrah played three of the just-concluded five-Test series in which an inexperienced India eked out a creditable 2-2 draw.
The two matches that India won didn't feature Bumrah because of a pre-decided workload management plan.
'Considering the importance of the India versus England Test series and his fragile back, Bumrah should have been told by the BCCI, selectors and the Indian team management to miss IPL 2025," Vengsarkar said while speaking to The Times of India.
'It was very important that we had a fully fit and refreshed Bumrah for this iconic series. If I were the Indian chief selector, I would have convinced Mukesh Ambani and Bumrah that it was important for Bumrah to miss the IPL for the England series, or play some matches in the IPL," Vengsarkar added.
Returning from a back injury which forced him to miss the 2025 Champions Trophy in the UAE, Bumrah played in 12 games in IPL 2025 for Mumbai, bowling around 48 overs in which he took 18 wickets.
Bumrah's planned absence, in the must-win fifth and final Test, did raise some questions about the handling of his workload, but the team management made it clear that the premier pacer couldn't have been risked.
Bumrah finished with 14 wickets in three matches at an impressive economy of three and an average of 26. He finished as the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the series, behind Mohammed Siraj, Josh Tongue and England skipper Ben Stokes.
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Hindustan Times
4 minutes ago
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First Post
4 minutes ago
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India are second favourites in home ODI World Cup, cannot boast of home advantage: Anjum Chopra
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But yes, there will always be an underlying, unspoken comfort zone, which we as an Indian team will always have is that we know we are playing in our country – wherever we turn, we will have support. In a foreign land, you will only have the support of the 20-30 people who travel with you and then parts of the crowd at the matches. Here, everything is very familiar. That confidence cannot be taken away from a home team and also cannot be given to any foreign player who plays regularly in India. Since the (upcoming) World Cup is being played in a round-robin format, so every match will be essential, NRR will be important, what if one of your matches is washed out etc. – everything becomes important. Plus, India will be playing in all the venues (five venues across India and Sri Lanka), like in the 2023 men's ODI World Cup (in India across 10 venues). So, the women's team will need to adapt very quickly – from Indore to Bengaluru to Colombo to Guwahati – the conditions will change. Which is also why I said earlier that the team shouldn't rely on just spinners (in the bowling department), you must always have a backup option. I feel New Zealand will also be a good team (at the World Cup). They have won the T20 World Cup (2024). They will have experienced players in their line-up, they should have the spinners who have done well in UAE conditions. They are not talked about a lot, but they are a good team. They have strong, powerful batters. The South African players are also very well versed with the Indian conditions, which can be conducive for their bowling line-up. Now they also have a leg-spinner who they have started picking (19-year-old Seshnie Naidu). Also, let's not count out a team like Sri Lanka. They might not be on the shortlist of title favourites, but they will be playing a few matches in home conditions. They created problems for South Africa and they can do the same to other teams also. 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