Follow UsIndian paceman Mohammed Siraj has come out in full support of his teammate Jasprit Bumrah, who has been managing his workload by missing a few games and series. Bumrah has previously suffered serious back injuries, and the Indian team management has been taking extra precautions to ensure he stays fit for all important series and ICC events.
Despite this, Bumrah faced heavy criticism for “picking and choosing” matches during India’s five-Test series in England. Even before the series began, he had informed team management that he would be available for only three Tests to manage his workload.
As a result, he played only the first, third, and fourth Tests, sitting out the second and fifth. Ironically, India lost two of the three matches in which he featured, while the only other game was drawn. In contrast, the team won both Tests that Bumrah missed.
Although these results were coincidental, the pace spearhead faced significant trolling and criticism from fans and former cricketers. Siraj, however, emphasised that Bumrah is making the right choices and isn’t concerned about outside opinions.
“Bumrah bhai doesn’t worry about outside opinion. He had a serious back injury and a big surgery. Had he bowled in that match, one can’t say whether he would have bowled again or not if he had broken down. It’s that serious. That injury is very sensitive,” Siraj told The Indian Express.
"His bowling action is very difficult. He is such an important bowler for India, and his availability is so important - from Asia Cup to next year’s World Cup and so on. Indian fans should understand that he is the backbone of the team and be rest assured that whenever possible, he will definitely play. Jassi bhai took the perfect decision.”
Bumrah did feature in the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE, which ended on September 28, and then played the first Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad from October 2. There’s currently no update on whether he will play the second Test, but the ace paceman has been rested for the three-match ODI series in Australia, starting October 19.
The focus now is on the T20 format, with the T20 World Cup scheduled for early next year. That is why Bumrah has been picked for the five-match T20I series in Australia, which will be played immediately after the ODIs.