Sanjay Manjrekar,former Indian cricketer,has raised concerns about Jasprit Bumrah's commitment to national team after his selection for Asian Games squad. Bumrah,rested for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England,will join team led by Shreyas Iyer for Games in Japan this September .
Played all 14 matches for Mumbai Indians in 2026 IPL,yet Bumrah's skip of T20I series raised eyebrows. Manjrekar thinks at 32,Bumrah should manage workload better in T20 formats. Questions linger over Bumrah's recent career choices,why isn't he more present for international fixtures?
Manjrekar's critique isn't new;he's criticized Bumrah before for playing only three Tests in five-match series against England. Now,after a disappointing IPL — just four wickets,struggled with run control — experts were surprised. He's usually known for his bowling prowess.
“I’m just confused about how his career is going in terms of his availability,” Manjrekar said on Sony Sports Network. “I thought Bumrah was the frontrunner to become India's T20 captain because I thought he could handle T20 workload.”
He added that while winning Asian Games would be nice,it doesn't carry same weight as bilateral series or World Cups. Manjrekar emphasized Bumrah's selective play raises questions about national dedication. “It’s very different approach,something that I don’t understand. I just wish that he would commit himself more to India,” he said.
Manjrekar also noted Bumrah's reluctance in T20s has pushed others,like Shubman Gill and Iyer,into leadership roles too soon. Bumrah turned down Test captaincy over workload concerns,so selectors went with Gill instead .
As Bumrah stays rested for Ireland and England series,he'll miss ODIs against Afghanistan too . His availability for three ODIs against England remains up in air . Cricket community watches…will Bumrah change his approach to international commitments?
