Sunil Gavaskar warns Jasprit Bumrah over workload management

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar on Monday, warned ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah over his workload management ahead of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, stating ‘nobody is indispensable’.

Bumrah featured in only three Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy Tests due to workload management.

He played the series opener at Headingley, sat out of the second Test at Edgbaston, and returned for the third and fourth matches at Lord's and Old Trafford, respectively.

Despite India being in a position to potentially draw the series 2-2 with a win at The Oval, the team chose not to deviate from the original plan.

His absence from the high-stakes fifth clash drew severe criticism as the series was at stake.

Although the right-arm pacer has now reportedly confirmed his availability for the Asia Cup 2025, legendary Indian batter Gavaskar offered him blunt advice regarding his workload management.

The former India captain, in his column for a news outlet, also called for the selectors to make a comprehensive decision about playing Bumrah.

“Nobody is indispensable. That’s why it is of prime importance for the selectors to now decide when Jasprit Bumrah should be playing,” Gavaskar wrote.

“There’s already been a lot of debate about his appearances in the recently concluded series in England. To be fair, he had informed the selection committee that he could play only three Tests out of the five,” he added.

Sunil Gavaskar further opined that Jasprit Bumrah should have featured in the must-win fifth Test as it was played on the ‘grassiest pitch’ and also because that their next Test was scheduled two months later, emphasising the pacer had ample time to rest and recover.

“The debate that has generated some heat is whether he should have played the last must-win Test match, especially since it was the grassiest pitch at the Oval in a long time. The next Test match was in early October, and so there were two clear months for him to rest and recover in time for that,” Gavaskar continued.

“The Indian team management stated that he wasn’t picked considering his future. This is where the lines between what is good for the individual and what is good for Indian cricket got a little blurred.

“Surely at that stage, if he was fit, then for Indian cricket’s sake, he had to play. Whether then it was his call or the management’s call not to play is not known, but in the end, after India’s win it showed once again, if ever there was need to know that nobody is indispensable in the game. The game just moves on.”