With India’s T20 World Cup campaign now complete, the BCCI’s selector group and the team’s management have begun mapping the next phase of the international calendar—centered on the World Test Championship (WTC) and the 2027 ODI World Cup. A major talking point in those planning discussions is how to handle the workload of fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, whose highly distinctive action places additional physical demand on his body. The board’s view is that Bumrah should be available for all nine WTC matches in the upcoming season, provided he remains medically fit.
Managing Bumrah’s workload and India’s WTC priorities
- India will begin with a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Chandigarh starting June 6, though that match does not form part of the WTC cycle.
- Before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy begins, India are scheduled to host two Tests against Sri Lanka and New Zealand later in the year, with Australia arriving for a five-match series in January.
- Selectors and the team management want to keep India’s WTC qualification hopes alive this season, even while anticipation builds around the ODI World Cup.
- India currently sit sixth in the WTC standings, making the upcoming stretch particularly important.
- The working plan is to ensure Bumrah stays available for the maximum number of Tests: he is expected to feature in the four Tests in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
- The key challenge, however, is expected to be freshness for the five home Tests against Australia, where rotation may be considered to protect his intensity and recovery.
- The selectors are open to resting Bumrah for some ODI assignments if needed, viewing Test availability as the priority.
- Bumrah last played T20 cricket after a two-year gap during the Asia Cup in September and still produced an impactful showing, reinforcing the belief that his body can handle limited T20 involvement.
- In the most recent England tour, Bumrah was available for three of the five Tests, but the board now intends him to play in more matches if he is clinically fit.
- After that England stint, Bumrah returned to play all four Tests at home, and he is projected to take part in only a small number of T20Is going forward because the next major T20 assignment is not expected for another two years.
Sources also highlighted that Bumrah’s role will be central if India are to reach the WTC final. India have missed qualification since Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach, and recent home outings have not gone well—India were whitewashed by New Zealand and South Africa on their own turf. In line with that concern, the board’s message to the squad has been clear: if first-choice Test players are fit, they should be used in the longest format. For the Afghanistan Test, the final decision will be taken after the IPL concludes, with workload monitoring playing a significant role.
The board’s approach, as framed in internal discussions, is to treat Test cricket with greater seriousness. While the Afghanistan match may fall outside the WTC window, the selectors believe the game can still provide valuable match practice, and it will help them evaluate top players before deciding who is best suited for the bigger WTC run ahead.
Gill’s call for quicker preparation and the Afghanistan selection lens
After being shut out by South Africa in the previous season, India’s Test captain Shubman Gill has urged that players be given a larger turnaround from other formats so they can properly prepare for marquee Test series. He also pointed to how preparation cycles can affect readiness when the schedule compresses.
One more Afghanistan-related detail from the past: when India last played Afghanistan in a Test in 2018, most of the leading players were involved, with only Virat Kohli missing due to a back niggle.
Middle-order focus: Padikkal, Jurel and Gaikwad
Within the selection and team-planning conversations, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are viewed as key middle-order options for the future. The team management sees Jurel as a batter who can be used in a more specialist batting role, while Padikkal is considered someone who could challenge Sai Sudharsan for the No. 3 spot. Gaikwad, meanwhile, is believed to be well suited to counter the turning ball and the demands of Indian conditions, especially when pitches start to grip and slow down.
