Huge setback for Jasprit Bumrah? BCCI unlikely to allow stars to pick and choose games after Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025

The Indian Cricket Team is currently in transition since Gautam Gambhir was announced as Rahul Dravid's successor to coach the senior men's team. Veteran cricketer Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravichandran Ashwin announced their retirements from the longest format of the game since Gambhir took over as head coach.

After India's 2-2 series draw in England, there are reports that the BCCI will send a message to all format-contracted players that the culture of of picking and choosing games won't be entertained in the near future.

PTI reported that the selection committee, Gambhir and the decision makers in the Indian cricket board are all on the same page with regards to putting an end to players picking and choosing games and series in the pretext of workload management.

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"There have been discussions and the message will be sent across to the centrally contracted players, especially those who are all format regulars, that this culture of picking and choosing games won't be entertained in near future," a senior BCCI official privy to current happenings told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The report further stated that BCCI will take a more objective approach in future, where the workload management for fast bowlers will be managed, but it can't be accepted that in the name of workload management, people will miss crucial matches.

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"It doesn't mean that workload management will be thrown out of the window but a more objective approach is expected in near future. Obviously, fast bowlers' workload needs to be managed but it can't be accepted that in the name of workload management, people will miss crucial matches."

Mohammed Siraj is the only Indian pacer who featured in all five Test matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, bowled 185.3 overs across the series, which is the most by any bowler. More importantly, the performance of Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Akash Deep has proved that even the biggest of stars are dispensable and no one is bigger than the team.

Even England skipper Ben Stokes, despite multiple issues, bowled marathon spells till the end of the fourth Test, raising debates whether workload has become an "overrated concept" used for convenience.