Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah has made his return to India’s T20I squad for the first time since the T20 World Cup 2024 final, where he played a major role in helping India win the trophy and even earned the Player of the Tournament award.
At 31, Jasprit Bumrah now aims to deliver top performances in the upcoming Asia Cup and guide the team, under captain Suryakumar Yadav, toward a record ninth title.
Many cricket fans were surprised to see Jasprit Bumrah’s name in the squad because there had been concerns about his fitness. Due to workload management, he had only appeared in three of the five Tests in England earlier this year, even though he had been named the ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2024. His return, however, now makes India strong favourites to win the Asia Cup.
Soon after the squad was announced by chief selector Ajit Agarkar in Mumbai on August 19, former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar spoke highly of Jasprit Bumrah.
Abhishek Nayar, who worked closely with Jasprit Bumrah during his time with the team from July 2024 to March 2025, called him a rare talent and said that Bumrah can be the deciding factor between winning and losing a championship. He also remarked that Bumrah’s fitness and workload need to be handled carefully because missing him in big matches can have a huge impact.
According to Abhishek Nayar, Jasprit Bumrah himself knows best what his body can handle and is able to communicate that clearly to the team management, so his opinions and well-being should always be respected. Abhishek Nayar also added that Bumrah cares deeply about India’s success and that nothing is more important to him than helping the country win trophies.
Jasprit Bumrah has already taken 89 wickets in just 70 T20 internationals and is expected to lead the fast bowling attack in the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan match on September 14 in Dubai. However, he may be rested for India’s other two group matches – one against the UAE on September 10 and another against Oman on September 19.
With Jasprit Bumrah back in action, Indian fans are hopeful that his presence will once again lift the team to another major title.
