Jasprit Bumrah Set To Play Remaining 9 Matches Of WTC Cycle As BCCI Eyes Silverware- Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India hopes that senior pacer Jasprit Bumrah is ready to play throughout the ICC World Test Championship, which began in 2025, despite concerns about his physical fitness and workload management. With over a month since India's landmark T20 World Cup victory at home, and major events like the WTC final and ODI World Cup on the horizon next year, the board has already begun mapping out its plans.

And Bumrah's workload is expected to be a crucial part of the team's planning for the two major events next year. According to a report by the Times of India, the BCCI is hoping Bumrah plays the remaining nine tests in the ongoing WTC cycle, which will conclude in March 2027. India returns to the Test arena with a one-off Test against Afghanistan, but that is not part of the current WTC cycle, and Bumrah is expected to be exempted from it.

India's Upcoming Test Series

The Shubman Gill-led side is scheduled to play a two-Test series each against Sri Lanka and New Zealand later this year, both away from home, before returning to host the Australia national cricket team in a high-profile five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy early next year.

The focus remains on carefully managing Jasprit Bumrah's workload to ensure he is available for the longest format.

"The attempt is to keep Bumrah fit enough to play all Tests. He is expected to play the four Tests in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The challenge will be to keep him fresh for the five Tests at home against Australia. The selectors won't mind resting him for some ODI series. He played T20 cricket after a gap of two years in the Asia Cup last September and still delivered," a BCCI source was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Jasprit Bumrah Likely To Be Included For Afghanistan Test

The right-hand pacers' first assignment is to play against the Afghanistan team. Earlier, it was likely that he would miss the Afghanistan test. However, the board has now decided that Bumrah will play in the test to get some match practice ahead of the game.

"The idea is to get serious about Tests. The Afghanistan Test may be outside the WTC cycle, but there's nothing like match practice. The top players will be assessed,d and a call on them will be taken accordingly," the BCCI source added.

India finished as runners-up in the first two ICC World Test Championship cycles in 2021 and 2023, before slipping to third place in the 2023-25 edition after a late run of defeats. With the team currently languishing in sixth position in the ongoing cycle, the management will be keen to ensure Jasprit Bumrah is available for all the remaining Tests.