Team India might have to play the forthcoming One-Day International match against the New Zealand cricket team without having the pace ace Jasprit Bumrah in the line-up, according to reports. The reason for this appears to be the management of the player’s workload with the focus being on the bigger events in the near future.
Bumrah has been one of the most reliable performers in the Indian team across formats and is reportedly being given a break in order to retain a freshness level that would be beneficial in testing assignments down the line. Sources from the selection committee indicate that the team management does not favor using the pacer in bilateral ODIs, given his back injury history and the toll he has taken on his body across the past two summers.
The 30-year-old has not played an ODI match since the 2023 World Cup final, when India had a heartbreaking loss. Since then, Bumrah has been concentrating on red-ball cricket and picking and choosing his T20 games, giving match-winning performances whenever he decides to join his team. Although his skill to lead his pace attack has made him indispensable to the team, his vulnerability to injuries has raised concerns about his management.
Alongside Bumrah, the all-rounder Hardik Pandya is also set to miss the ODI series against New Zealand. This comes after the team management expressed that Hardik would not be considered for the 50-over format despite his return to cricket after numerous fitness issues. Hardik returned to the competition after a considerable period of inaction before the big ICC events.
The impending series for the ODI format against New Zealand is also expected to bring about opportunities for the younger generation and some of the reserve players to get a chance to display their talents on the international platform, given the expected absence of some regular players due to rest.
Although both players will be missing for the ODI series, it is likely that both Bumrah and Pandya will be back for the Twenty20 series that is going to take place afterwards. The Twenty20 series is given precedence, given that the Twenty20 World Cup is approaching fast.
The Indian approach also emphasizes the increasing importance placed on long-term management of players, unlike the past where immediate performance was the key objective. Currently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has also shown restraint regarding the players’ fitness, including the bowlers, who always have potential injury problems. With the approaching series for New Zealand, cricket fans would be anxious to see how the changed faces in the Indian cricket squad would perform when the seniors take a backseat. Although Bumrah’s unavailability is going to be a problem, the series is a golden opportunity for the emerging players to take the stage.
