New Delhi: After bringing home the T20 World Cup title with a sensational performance, Jasprit Bumrah is set to prioritise ODI cricket as part of the preparation for the 50-over World Cup, scheduled to be
held in 2027.
Bumrah was named Player of the Match in the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Sunday with his four-wicket haul in the 96-run win, taking his tally to 14 - the joint highest in the tournament.
But despite being fresh off the T20 glory, Bumrah, over the next 18 months, is likely to play more ODI cricket than T20I bilateral series to be in the best possible shape for the 2027 ODI World Cup set to be staged in the African continent.
As part of his workload management programme, T20Is will be a low priority for Bumrah leading up to October-November 2027. India have a loaded schedule of bilateral 20-over series and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
As per a report in PTI, Bumrah, alongwith several senior Indian players, is eager to play in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, which will be held in the T20 format, but before that, ODIs will be his preferred white-ball format.
Jasprit Bumrah's road to 2027 ODI World Cup
India will kick-start their ODI World Cup preparation after the conclusion of the Indian Premier League 2026, where Bumrah will spearhead the Mumbai Indians' pace attack.
After the gruelling two-month-long cash-rich tournament, the national selection committee, the Centre of Excellence, headed by VVS Laxman and the team management, will lay the blueprint for the next World Cup phase, and Bumrah's workload management will be one of the top agendas.
While Bumrah is all but certain to feature in the World Test Championships (WTC) matches, it is believed that his workload management will be similar to the 2023-2026 period during which he didn't play a single ODI.
Workload management: Optimising Bumrah for India's future global campaigns
Since November 19, 2023, when he played the ODI World Cup final against Australia, Bumrah has played 42 games, which included 21 Test matches and as many T20Is. He was ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy last year due to a lower back injury, but played in the two T20 World Cup editions (2024, 2026) during this period.
The focus ahead of the 2027 World Cup will shift to ODIs for the 32-year-old Indian speedster.
"Obviously Bumrah's fitness is as always key to any of India's global campaign and hence the Indian team management will have to be very careful and prioritise the formats. Keep Test cricket aside, which he will obviously play, but in the 50-over World Cup cycle, he will concentrate more on ODIs.
"There will be around 30-35 odd games and one can't take chances," a BCCI source told PTI.
While India are blessed with a big pool of talented batters, the same can't be said about the bowling department.
India's fast bowling pool in terms of ODI cricket core comprises Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
