'Unable to understand workload management' - Former India opener on Jasprit Bumrah's absence from Australia ODIs

Published - 16 Oct 2025, 11:32 IST | Updated - 16 Oct 2025, 11:33 IST

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressed his surprised over how Jasprit Bumrah has been used in the recent past. Bumrah was recently a part of both Tests India played against West Indies at home.

Chopra felt that Bumrah would play only one of the two Tests against the Windies and would rather play in the three-match ODI series against Australia.

"I was also slightly surprised. I felt he wouldn't play both Tests, maybe he'd play one Test, and that would be the second Test in Delhi, and he would miss Ahmedabad, but he didn't do that. He's missing the [Australia] ODIs and I feel he will also miss the last two T20Is in Australia, and he should as well, because within five days of that, you'll be playing a Test match in Kolkata, and this Test match is against South Africa. It's going to be extremely critical. I'm unable to understand the workload management, especially when we look at Jasprit," Chopra stated in a video on his YouTube channel.

Chopra further suggested that giving a "rare talent" such as Bumrah the flexibility of picking and choosing games seems justified and that the pacer should be given the freedom to exercise that option.

"He's a very, very unique case because he is an extremely rare talent. When you have a rare talent like that, you give them a little leeway. You ask them to say how they are feeling. You let them play if they can and miss it if they want to miss. He's being given slightly preferential special treatment currently because there's no one like Jassi. There's only one guy. We assume that whatever's right for him is right for everyone else, which is not a bad thing. I'm okay with that," he added.

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India are scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is against Australia. The series-opening clash has been slated to be played at the Perth Stadium in Perth on Sunday, October 19.