Ganguly suggests plan to manage Bumrah's workload during England tour
The five-Test series between England and India begins on June 20
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday adviced the Indian team management to handle pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah with care during the upcoming Test series in England, suggesting he should bowl no more than 12 to 13 overs per day to manage his workload effectively.
Ahead of the tour, Indian media had reported that Bumrah had already informed the team management he would not be available for all five Tests, citing the need for workload management.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir echoed similar sentiments during a pre-tour press conference on June 6, stating that Bumrah’s participation in each Test would depend on the match situation and the series outcome, and decisions on resting him would be made accordingly.
Speaking to an Indian media, Ganguly emphasised that new Test captain Shubman Gill should be cautious with Bumrah’s usage.
"You’ve got to look after him and not make him bowl more than 12 or 13 overs," Ganguly was quoted as saying by Indian media.
The former skipper also suggested that other pace options should take on more responsibility to preserve Bumrah’s fitness across the series.
“I believe four fast bowlers are essential. In this setup, others will have to be the workhorses — like Siraj, Arshdeep,” Ganguly added.
Bumrah suffered a back injury by the time the final Test in Sydney arrived during the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia last year, which ruled him out of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign.
It is pertinent to mention that the five-match Test series between England and India is set to begin at Headingley, Leeds on June 20. The remaining matches are scheduled to take place at Edgbaston, Lord's, Old Trafford, and The Oval.
India squad for England Tests:
Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
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