Bumrah likely to focus on ODIs ahead of 2027 WC, return against England on cards

Bowling icon Jasprit Bumrah is expected to primarily feature in One-Day Internationals for India in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup and is likely to return to action during the ODI series against England, BCCI sources told CricBlogger.

That would give Bumrah around one-and-a-half months of rest before beginning preparations for the 2027 World Cup campaign. The selection committee had adopted a similar workload-management approach ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup at home, when Bumrah was seen playing fewer ODIs compared to T20Is.

Sources also said that if Bumrah requires additional time to return fully fresh, the selection committee, along with the support staff, would not hesitate to extend his rest period further.

In the meantime, Bumrah will also remain available for Test series against top teams such as Australia national cricket team, England cricket team, New Zealand national cricket team and South Africa national cricket team.

By virtue of being India’s No. 1 strike bowler, Bumrah has been rested on several occasions in the past as part of workload management and has even missed Test matches for India. He is perhaps the only Indian bowler currently in a position to pick and choose his matches, although there have also been instances when the support staff has stepped in to ensure he remains fully fit for major ICC events.

There are also murmurs about
Bumrah continuing to play merely to complete his commitments for the Mumbai Indians, who are already out of the tournament, despite being paid close to Rs 30 crore.

“What’s the point of making Bumrah play any more IPL games?” a source said, while adding that Bumrah should ideally begin resting immediately after such a long season in which he has served Indian cricket so well.

Even Bumrah’s performances in the IPL have not been up to his usual standards. From 13 matches, Bumrah has managed only four wickets and is currently ranked 64th in the wicket-takers’ list. The fact that he is India’s premier wicket-taking bowler across formats has hardly reflected in this edition of the IPL.