Jassi Jaisa Koi Nahi: Managing A Back Carrying A Billion Hopes

Abhinav Tyagi

Jasprit Bumrah As Sub - (Source : AP)Jasprit Bumrah As Sub - (Source : AP)

I never saw Sachin Tendulkar bat in the 90s, but only heard from my father that the entire Indian Team relied on just one man - the Master Blaster. Never frankly understood the statement and always wondered what the rest were doing that a team was just carried by a single man. 

However, it was not until recently that I, alongside several other Indian fans, echoed the same voice: "What Will India Do Without Bumrah?". In the last few years, India saw a meticulous rise of Jasprit Bumrah to new heights, which the rest of the bowlers are struggling to match.

A Rise Like No Other

Bumrah made his India debut in 2016. In his nine-year-long career, the 31-year-old has already broken a plethora of records, but most importantly, helped India end their 11-year-long ICC trophy drought with heroics in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Bumrah took 15 wickets and won the player of the tournament. The performance came a year after his return to cricket following an 11-month absence because of a back injury. There were doubters, but Bumrah proved his critics wrong.

However, since the introduction of his back struggle, India have been careful with the right-arm seamer, resting him against lower-ranked teams. Although after a fresh blow in Australia, the Indian management has been extra careful and decided to rest Bumrah against mighty England in the ongoing tour, where it was pre-decided that the 31-year-old would only play three Tests.

It is the first time that the right-arm seamer is absent against a big nation despite being fit. But is it the right time to manage the workload, or rather the right approach? Should Bumrah sit out at his own will, given that he is at risk of injury?

The Numbers Tell the Story

Bumrah’s workload in recent years has been staggering. Since January 2024, he has bowled 410.4 overs in Test cricket alone—the most by any pacer globally in that period, outpacing even Mitchell Starc by over 40 overs. In the recent Headingley Test, he bowled 43.4 overs, accounting for nearly a quarter of India’s total overs, a workload that dwarfs his entire IPL season (47.2 overs across 12 games over two months) compressed into just five days.

Unlike many of his international peers, Bumrah is a first-choice pick in all three formats for India. While bowlers like Starc and Cummins are occasionally rested from certain formats, Bumrah’s unique skill set and match-winning ability make him virtually irreplaceable. 

The Consequences of Overuse

India’s management of Bumrah has not always been perfect. There have been instances—such as the 2024-25 Australia tour and the recent Headingley Test—where ineffective support from other bowlers forced Bumrah into extended spells, increasing the risk of injury. 

Bumrah injured his back in the fifth Test against Australia, days after the viral video where he signalled to then India Test captain Rohit Sharma that his body can't take more. It led to the right-arm seamer missing the 2025 Champions Trophy.

World Cups In Sight, Bumrah The Hope

With a T20 World Cup in 2026 and the ODI World Cup in 2027 coming near, alongside the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, India cannot afford to lose Bumrah to injury. His presence remains pivotal to India’s hopes across formats, and the challenge for the team is to balance immediate needs with long-term sustainability.

As the Edgbaston Test goes, there is a debate whether the workload is being managed in the right way or the dressing room is being extra cautious with the 31-year-old, that can eventually result in embarrassing scenes in England, a scar that could post a big threat to several big names, including Gautam Gambhir. 

Gambhir's Take On Workload Paints Different Pictue

“I’m a very strong believer in one thing—that if you’re good, you should be playing all three formats. I’ve never been a big believer in injury management. If you get injured, you go get recovered, as simple as it gets. When you’re playing international cricket and you’re good enough, you ask any of the top players—they want to play all three formats. They don’t want to say, and they don’t want to be labelled as red-ball bowlers or white-ball bowlers. Injuries are part of a sportsman’s life, and if you’re playing all three formats, you get injured, and you go back and get recovered, but you should be playing all three formats," Gautam remarked in 2024 before  India role.

These were Gambhir's exact words before bagging India's coaching role. The statement is resurfacing on the net as the former India opener has taken a backseat on his earlier statement. 

Bumrah Rightly Rested? What Is The Bigger Question?

England is a big series, and Bumrah needs to be there. India's next Test series is against the West Indies, and India can afford not to have the quickie there as they have enough manpower to pose a tough challenge to the Windies.

Following that, India's next Test is against South Africa in November, and Bumrah has enough time to recover in case of an injury, which is three months after the completion of the England series.

Thus, the approach should be to play all Tests against England, especially the 2nd Test, irrespective of India's stronghold in the match as the Shubman Gill-led side were trailing 0-1 in the series.

Thus, it is not a question of whether Bumrah should rest or play the games he wants, but series against England, South Africa, and Australia aren't something to be missed. WTC should be treated like a limited-overs tournament, where missing big games are off the radar.

Bottomline, you don't manage workload to miss games against England. As Gambhir remarked in 2024, it's better to be off for a few weeks or a month, if it comes at a cost of winning two matches for India and going 2-1 up in the series before missing out on the rest. For sure, the visitors won't mind winning their first series in England since 2007 at a cost of Bumrah being unfit for a couple of months.