India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is set to skip the upcoming five-match ODI series against New Zealand as the team management has decided to focus entirely on his red-ball preparation, with a TOI report confirming that despite being fully fit, the fast bowler needs his workload managed ahead of the Test assignment. The strategy involves Bumrah playing the third India A fixture starting November 6 to gain match practice ahead of the opening Test against New Zealand in Wellington on November 19, thereby utilizing the intervening gap to gear up for the longer format after initiating his red-ball training in Ahmedabad and lining up a visit to the BCCI Centre of Excellence later this month. A source close to the developments revealed that while fitness is not a worry, keeping Bumrah fresh for high-priority Test matches is crucial rather than burdening him with bilateral ODIs, keeping in mind his history of missing the Sri Lanka Tests due to a knee injury and his last multi-day appearance against South Africa at home last year. Looking ahead to the World Test Championship goals and an upcoming five-Test series against Australia early next year, India is taking a calculated approach to protect its frontline bowler from unnecessary fatigue. Consequently, the national selectors are poised to name the squads for the New Zealand tour in the next few days, pending final fitness clearances for several athletes such as Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Rishabh Pant.
