The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is facing a major uphill battle reagrding how to manage pace bowling kingpin Jasprit Bumrah's workload as Afghanistan series approaches. Bumrah who is currently competing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is reported to either feature in the three match ODI series or one off test against Afghanistan.
As per the report from the Press Trust of India (PTI) the selection committee is keeping a close eye on the bowler before making the squad announcement for the series.
BCCI carefully balancing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload
The selectors, spearheaded by Ajit Agarkar, reportedly do not want to overburden Bumrah following a hectic IPL campaign. As per reports, the management is unlikely to risk him in both assignments during the two-week Afghanistan series.
Sources suggest that if Jasprit Bumrah is selected for the one-off Test, he may be rested from the ODI series entirely. On the other hand, if the team management prioritizes the 50-over games, he could skip the red-ball fixture.
India are also expected to avoid major experiments in the Test squad despite the Afghanistan game not being part of the World Test Championship cycle. The selectors are believed to be focusing on continuity ahead of upcoming overseas assignments against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
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Prince Yadav emerges as strong contender for maiden India call-up
One of the major talking points ahead of squad selection is the possible inclusion of Delhi pacer Prince Yadav. The young speedster impressed heavily in domestic cricket and IPL 2026, taking 17 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and adding 16 wickets in the ongoing IPL season so far.
With both Harshit Rana and Akash Deep currently injured, India may also consider Jammu and Kashmir seamer Auqib Nabi Dar as a backup pace option.
Meanwhile, seasoned names like Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant, and Dhruv Jurel are expected to remain key parts of the setup.