‘He has informed the selectors…’: Jasprit Bumrah informs Ajit Agarkar about his Asia Cup availability before squad announcement
Ajit Agarkar, along with the All-India Men’s Senior Selection Committee, will meet on Tuesday, August 19, to finalize the 15-member squad for the Asia Cup. Ahead of this crucial selection, pacer Jasprit Bumrah has updated his status for the eight-nation tournament starting September 9. Bumrah’s confirmation of his availability for the tournament has given captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir a huge boost.
Bumrah has expressed his desire to participate in the Asia Cup
According to the Indian Express, Bumrah has already expressed his desire to participate in the tournament to the selectors. He is therefore almost certain to be included in the squad.
“Bumrah has informed the selectors that he will be available for the Asia Cup selection. The selection committee will meet and discuss it when they meet next week,” the Indian Express quoted a source as saying.
India’s Asia Cup campaign will begin on September 10 against the UAE. The highly anticipated match against Pakistan will take place in Dubai on September 14. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong are in Group B, while India, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Oman are in Group A.
Bumrah faces criticism for not playing all five Tests
Jasprit Bumrah has been at the center of the action ever since the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy match against England ended. A number of former Indian cricket players have criticized the pacer for not playing all five Test matches.
As part of workload management, it was already decided that Jasprit Bumrah would play in just three games before the five-match series started. But following India’s victory at the Oval without him, the 31-year-old faced criticism. Some questioned Bumrah’s few appearances, comparing him to Mohammed Siraj, who participated in all five games.
Bumrah was released from the Test squad ahead of Day 2 of the fifth and final match at the Oval. The pacer had featured in the first Test at Headingley, the third at Lord’s, and the fourth at Manchester.
Bumrah grabbed two five-wicket hauls
Bumrah picked a total of 14 wickets, which included two five-wicket hauls, while bowling 119.4 overs. In the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah played in all five Test matches against Australia. But during the last Test match in Sydney, he experienced a back spasm. He was consequently ruled out of the 2025 ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, which India ultimately won. Bumrah also missed the first few games of the Mumbai Indians’ IPL 2025 campaign.
“If he cannot play more than two matches in a row or sometimes even more than one, he must not be your frontline pick. Players who are match fit, eager, keen to play and perform should be picked any day for me over a highly skilled player. It will motivate such enthusiastic players even more,” Manjrekar wrote.