Overview
- Indian outlets reported Thursday that selectors want Jasprit Bumrah available for all nine Tests left in this World Test Championship cycle, covering tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand and a five-match home series against Australia.
- To keep him fit for red-ball cricket, the board plans to rest him from select ODI and T20 series, with a decision on his role in the June 6 one-off Afghanistan Test to come after IPL workload reviews.
- The shift forms part of a broader Test rebuild that elevates domestic batters Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Dhruv Jurel for middle-order roles, with Jurel viewed as a potential specialist batter.
- India’s renewed focus follows a slide to sixth in the WTC table and rare home series defeats, including a 0-3 loss to New Zealand in 2024 and a 0-2 defeat to South Africa last November.
- Prioritizing Bumrah for Tests could slow ODI preparation for 2027 but may open white-ball chances for others, while offering India a clearer path to stabilize its Test attack in a league that awards points across a two-year calendar.