On Tuesday, August 19, India announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup, which will be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28. The
selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar picked a strong side as India look to win a record-extending ninth title.
After the squad announcement, Ajit Agarkar, India's chief selector and captain Suryakumar Yadav, addressed the media during a press conference. One of the biggest talking points from the squad announcement was the return of Jasprit Bumrah in the T20I setup for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa in June.
Agarkar said that there is no hard and fast plan regarding Bumrah's workload management. The former India pacer said that the Men in Blue will look to avail 31-year-old's services in all important assignments.
"I don't think there's any written plan. Been a nice break after the England series. Physios, team management been in touch. Clearly, we want him available for all the big games. There are WCs, CT, big series like England, Australia - you want him available. Because he's picked up injuries over the last 2-3 years, because of how special and unique it is - it won't change. Based on how he's feeling and how we require him, we hope he's available more often than not," Agarkar said in the press conference.
It was recently reported that Bumrah had informed the selectors that he was willing to represent India in the Asia Cup. Apart from Bumrah, the squad also includes Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana as specialist seamers. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube are the pace-bowling all-rounders in the side. In the spin-bowling department, India have Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel in their ranks.
Talking about Bumrah, the experienced pacer had played just three out of the five Tests against England in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He was criticised by a few experts and fans for picking and choosing matches. However, the team management was keen on managing his workload for future assignments. With Bumrah back in the fray in the shortest format, India's chances of retaining the Asia Cup look promising.
