Participation of Jasprit Bumrah in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is not guaranteed, and the Indian pace spearhead is currently taking a five-week break from the game to recover from a back injury. The injury was sustained during the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. In this backdrop, former South African fast bowler Vernon Philander has advised the team management to manage Bumrah’s workload sensibly and not drag him into every game under the Indian banner, particularly in “less important matches”.
Philander emphasized the point where the present chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, and head coach, Gautam Gambhir, may have to have a really good, hard talk with Bumrah on resting him for a few games.
“I think it is in the hands of the Indian management on how they will manage him. They need to manage his workload in between tournaments,” Philander said in a media interaction during the SA20 tournament.
“I’d say you probably want him to play all the main features, and give other bowlers an opportunity in less important matches,” he said.
He will not be a part of the Indian squad for the three-match ODI series against England, with Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana being selected as pace options.
Philander cast his gaze toward the IPL next, commenting on how Bumrah could linger for such a tournament.
“Once the IPL is coming around, you want a player like him to be available for most of the games, but how do you manage him throughout the IPL season?”
It’s such a tough chat to have, because as a bowler, you want to go out there, you know, there’s records to be broken, so you want to keep playing,” Philander said, on the topic of asking Bumrah to be rested.
India kickstart their Champions Trophy campaign on February 20, in less than two weeks’ time
