MUMBAI: At a time when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has instructed all Indian players, including senior stars and former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, to feature in at least two matches of the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, an exception has been made for Jasprit Bumrah. The decision has been taken with a clear focus on managing the fast bowler’s workload.
India are set to enter a packed white-ball calendar. From January 11, they will host New Zealand for an eight-match white-ball series, starting with three ODIs, followed by five T20Is from January 21. After that, India begin their T20 World Cup campaign on February 7 against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. With so much cricket lined up, the team management has opted to carefully manage Bumrah’s schedule. As a result, Bumrah will not represent Gujarat in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which begins on Wednesday. The 32-year-old pacer has a history of injury concerns and underwent back surgery in New Zealand in 2023. Given that background, rest has been prioritised over domestic participation. “Bumrah will not feature in VHT as he is taking rest as per the BCCI guidelines,” Gujarat Cricket Association secretary Anil Patel told TOI from Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Bumrah has been on a demanding run in recent months. He played in the Asia Cup (T20 format), featured in all four home Tests against the West Indies and South Africa, toured Australia for a five-match T20I series, and then played a five-match home T20I series against South Africa. During this period, he was rested for the three-match ODI series against Australia (away) and South Africa (home). In the recent T20I series against the Proteas, Bumrah picked up four wickets in three matches at an average of 19.75, while maintaining an economy rate of 7.18. Meanwhile, Gujarat will still have international representation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who missed the last two T20Is against South Africa due to viral fever, is set to feature in the tournament. Gujarat are scheduled to play their league matches in Bengaluru. Veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will also be in action, turning out for Saurashtra in their Vijay Hazare Trophy matches on January 6 and 8.
