Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested for Bangladesh Tests ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh next month. 

This move comes as part of a broader plan by the Ajit Agarkar-led senior selection committee to ensure that Bumrah is in peak condition for the highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) later this year.

Currently, the Indian cricket team is enjoying a rare break from their busy schedule. While many regular players are set to participate in the Duleep Trophy 2024, notable exceptions including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Bumrah are expected to be missing. 

The team's next challenge will be the Test series against Bangladesh, with the first Test starting on September 19 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and the second Test commencing on September 27 at Green Park in Kanpur. This series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

Despite speculation that Bumrah might return for this series, the team management and selectors prefer he remains fully fit for the Australia tour. 

According to a PTI report, Bumrah is anticipated to make his return during the three-match Test series against New Zealand, which will serve as a preparatory stage for the BGT.

"In case of Bumrah, he knows his body the best and it will be up to him if he wants to play in the Tests against Bangladesh. The team management and selectors are very clear that India needs a 120 percent fit Jasprit Bumrah for all five Tests against Australia Down Under. Before that, there is New Zealand in India, where he will probably play and get ready for the sterner tests," a BCCI source told PTI.

Bumrah, who took a break following India's T20 World Cup 2024 victory where he was named Player of the Tournament, was sidelined from the T20I series in Zimbabwe and the white-ball series in Sri Lanka. 

He last played a Test match against England earlier this year, where he was instrumental, taking 19 wickets in four matches at an average of 16.89.

If Bumrah is unavailable for the Bangladesh series, young bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed might get the chance to make their Test debuts. Arshdeep, who was pivotal in India's T20 World Cup victory and also gained valuable experience playing county cricket with Kent last year, is a strong contender for his Test debut.