Veteran India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has backed Jasprit Bumrah amid the ongoing debate surrounding Bumrah’s workload management. Ahead of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy between England and India, it was decided that Bumrah would feature in only three matches out of five, and he played exactly that number of games as well. However, the series ended in a 2-2 draw.

However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar appeared on the YouTube show ‘Talk with Manvendra,’ where he said, “Look, considering how many years Jasprit Bumrah has been playing and competing in all formats, it is tough for anyone to sustain that. And with the kind of bowling action Bumrah has, injuries can happen to him or to anyone. I think with the kind of consistency Bumrah has shown recently, I had no problem with him playing three out of five matches. Because, as a selector, if you know what he can offer the team and what his abilities are, and the selectors were okay with him playing three out of five matches, it is because they know what he can provide even in those three games. I think if the team knows that a player might not play all five matches but will still contribute significantly in three, that should be okay.”

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“People do not always understand how tough it is. It is actually very tough to keep playing continuously for so many years across all three formats. And it is not like Bumrah bowls in easy situations, he is always bowling in tough situations, which brings both mental and physical pressure. If you want a player to have a long career, you have to manage them somehow. I was okay with that,” he further added.

However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar also said that Jasprit Bumrah’s talent was shown ever since he came into the scene.

“When Jasprit Bumrah first came in, he already had the skill. Everyone knew it because even before he played a few matches, during practice, everyone could see that there was something special in him. Honestly, skill-wise, nothing has changed. He was as good back then as he is now. But somewhere along the way, when you play for so many years and perform well, that confidence level comes in,” he stated.

“And when you know that you are a core part of the team, a main part of the team, and have even captained it, you carry that confidence within yourself that if a series, a match, or something goes wrong, you do not get too worried, unlike a newcomer. Once you are established in the team, you have that freedom. And somewhere, he has also developed that maturity that comes with age. I think he was always special, and now, the way he is performing has shown how you can convert that talent into results on the ground,” Bhuvneshwar Kumar concluded.