Manjrekar gets heat for Bumrah remarks; Chopra fears worst, says 'Don't push him towards...'

Just a day after former cricketer-turned-broadcaster Sanjay Manjrekar commented on ace quick Jasprit Bumrah’s workload management, saying how he, and not the Indian Cricket, must be the one adjusting to the cramped cricket calendar, his commentary box mate Aakash Chopra and former India coach John Wright jumped to Bumrah’s support. While Wright took to social media to comment on the matter, arguing Manjrekar missed the point in Bumrah’s case, Chopra feared the worst, saying such remarks could lead to Bumrah's abrupt selection across formats, which could push him towards a potential early retirement.

"Indian cricket must not adjust for Bumrah, Bumrah must. That is, if he wants to. By making some tough choices or working even harder on his fitness, this fitness bar can be raised to whatever levels one wants, like all fast bowling greats have done before him," Manjrekar wrote in his column for the Hindustan Times.

Bumrah’s workload management came to the limelight after he failed to feature in all Tests on the recently concluded UK tour, playing three of the five matches, as also suggested by the NCA and team doctors, considering his persistent back injuries. Though he (expectedly) excelled in his brief outings, picking 14 wickets across six innings and breaking multiple records alongside, he failed to help India win any game he played in. The visitors, however, won only those two matches where he didn’t feature, with the remaining quicks faring better in his absence.

While Manjrekar picked up the same point, saying if a fast bowler (Bumrah here) is not 100% fit and available for selection for all matches (on an away tour), he shall not be leading the pace attack, Chopra admits accepting Bumrah’s case, for what he brings to the table (if he is 100%) and if that means that the team must rest or rotate him, so be it.

"I will be honest, I don't think he will play all the Test matches. He is going to pick and choose. Whether it's right or wrong, it's not a moral or ethical debate, is what I think. If you have a player of that level available, play him whenever he can," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"There is no bowler like Bumrah. Don't push him forcibly towards early retirement because he is 24-carat pure gold. He is the Kohinoor diamond. The longer he plays, the better it is. I don't think he will play too much Test cricket, but for however long he plays, I would say hold onto it," he continued.

Meanwhile, Bumrah, who missed the final Test against England at the Oval due to niggle, is said to have made himself available for selection for the forthcoming 2025 Asia Cup.