Jasprit Bumrah to Retire From Tests? – Being a fast bowler in cricket is an extremely demanding job. It’s a role that requires not just skill and temperament, but also immense strength, stamina, and energy—especially when you consistently bowl at high speeds (135–140+ kmph). When it comes to Test cricket in particular, there are often situations where fast bowlers are required to bowl long spells regularly, sometimes in tough conditions. This naturally increases the risk of injuries, which is something we’re currently witnessing in the case of India’s star pacer Jasprit Bumrah.
Over the years, we have seen numerous cases where the fast bowlers’ careers have been cut short, or they have struggled to play test cricket consistently. India’s Jasprit Bumrah is also going in that direction, where his workload, especially in test cricket, has to be managed. Otherwise, Bumrah has to abruptly leave test cricket, or his overall international test career could be cut short. Today, we will discuss this matter deeply. We will also talk about what Mohammad Kaif and the other cricket pundits think about the future of Jasprit Bumrah – The Test Cricketer. So let’s begin.
Jasprit Bumrah Missed the 5th Test at the Oval in the England Series 2025
Team India is currently (2025) touring England for the five-match test series. They have played some good cricket and had the opportunity to be ahead in the series. But they lost moments where it mattered and are now 1-2 down in the series after four tests, with one test to play at the Oval, which starts on July 31, 2025. India lost the first and the third test, where they had dominated for the most part. They won the 2nd test and managed to draw the 4th test at Manchester.
Now, the 5th test is a very important game for Team India as the series is at stake. After drawing the Manchester test, Team India has given themselves a chance to draw the series 2-2. They can’t win the series from here on, but can draw the series. In the important Oval test, they are without their star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. He will not feature in the 5th test because of the workload management. Bumrah has been injury-prone in the last few years and has missed a few series and tournaments for India.
In the last few years, Jasprit Bumrah has missed the Champions Trophy 2025, a few games in the IPL 2025, and a few important test series at home. Even if he was fit to play, he missed a few important test series at home and quite a few white-ball bilateral series. The team management unleashed him in only the important matches and managed his workload.
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Bumrah Already Announced Three Tests in England Series
It was already decided by Jasprit Bumrah (along with the consultation of the medical team) that he would only play three tests in the series. That’s because of his long struggle with a back injury. We saw him going off the field during the 5th test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 at Sydney. He played all four tests in BGT 2024-25 and also featured in the 5th test before going out with injury. Considering his regular struggles with injuries, playing all five tests in England was not a good idea. Although the team and the fans would want him to feature in all matches, managing workload is the first and foremost thing for Jasprit Bumrah.
Did Jasprit Bumrah Make the Right Call by Missing the Oval Test?
There were speculations that Bumrah might play the fifth test at the Oval, considering the series is still alive and India can draw the series. The team management might also be tempted to play him in the important game. But eventually, Jasprit Bumrah and the team management stick with their workload management policy.
If we think from the team and the fans’ point of view, it is not the right decision. But if we think from the player’s perspective, it is the right decision. Jasprit Bumrah was struggling in the Manchester test. His pace was down, and we saw that his lines were not as accurate as they used to be. To prolong his international career, leaving the 5th test is a good decision. We already saw him miss the Champions Trophy 2025 after getting injured in the 5th Test of the BGT 2024–25 series.
Jasprit Bumrah is looking at the bigger picture. Just before the start of the India vs England 2025 Test Series, he gave an interview to former Indian player Dinesh Karthik for Sky Sports. In an interview, Bumrah said that he wanted to play test cricket for a longer duration. If he continues to play in all games, he has to abruptly leave the longest format, citing his body’s workload. Team India will need him for several important assignments in the coming years.
Why was Bumrah’s Pace Dropped in the Manchester Test?
We can clearly see that Jasprit Bumrah didn’t perform as effectively in Manchester as he did in the first two Tests he played in the series. It might be because the pitches in the whole series have been batting-friendly. There was not much help for the bowlers, especially the fast bowlers, throughout the four tests. Out of the four tests, Bumrah played three tests and bowled almost 120 overs in 5 innings. He took 14 wickets in the series, including two five-wicket hauls.
Over the years, in a long test series (4 or 5 matches), we have seen that the bowlers’ energy and intensity go down coming into the 4th or 5th test. And the good batting wickets in the series add more to that. Bumrah’s pace was down, and his effectiveness also reduced.
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Will Jasprit Bumrah Retire from Test Cricket?
One thing is for sure. We will see Jasprit Bumrah play Test cricket only when the team needs him the most. That doesn’t mean the team didn’t need him in the Oval Test. The team management, the medical team, and Bumrah himself will see how the body is responding. We might not see him in the less important bilateral white-ball series. He might also not play in the home tests against less-competitive teams like West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc. Even if India plays against teams like Australia, England, South Africa, etc, at home, Bumrah might not feature in all tests as the pitches in India are spinner-friendly, where his role is not that much.
If Jasprit Bumrah continues to struggle with injuries in the future, he will have to cut his red-ball career short. Not just that, it might also affect his overall international career. He has to manage himself well to prolong his professional career. Playing all three formats, along with the highly intensive Indian Premier League (IPL), is a challenge, especially for the fast bowlers. Right now, it seems that Bumrah’s Test career might not last very long. He will have to make a decision within the next 1-2 years. We, as cricket fans, just hope that he continues to play as long as possible. He is a superstar and a complete fast bowler in all three formats.
What did Mohammad Kaif say about Bumrah?
India’s former cricketer Mohammad Kaif raised concerns over Jasprit Bumrah’s test future. He said Bumrah might end up retiring from test cricket soon, following other senior players like R Ashwin, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma. Kaif also mentioned Bumrah’s underwhelming performance in the Manchester test and the reduction in his pace while bowling. The former Indian cricketer thinks that Bumrah is losing the battle with his body.
Not just Mohammad Kaif, over the years, other former cricketers and pundits have raised concerns over Bumrah’s test career, considering his unique action and injury-prone body. Pakistan’s former speedster Shoaib Akhtar advised Bumrah to focus more on white-ball cricket to prolong his career. On Bumrah, New Zealand’s former star pacer Shane Bond warned that another back injury in the same spot could be career-ending for him. Bond stressed the severity, given his early retirement due to chronic back issues.
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Bumrah Did Not Become India’s Test Captain due to Workload Management
Jasprit Bumrah has also denied the offer to become India’s next test captain. It was already clear that making Bumrah the captain would be a risky decision. Later, he himself revealed that he decided not to take up the captaincy because of workload management. Bumrah said consistency is the key thing, and having two captains in the series will not help in team’s cause.
All-and-all, Jasprit Bumrah is currently at a point in his career where he needs to tread very carefully, step by step. He is an extremely important asset for Team India. Let’s see how things panned out for him. What do you think? Will he continue to play test cricket in the long run? Or will he leave the red-ball format to just focus on white-ball? Comment on all your opinions below. Thank you for reading. Keep following us for the latest updates, news, opinion, analysis, predictions, previews, reviews, stories, insights, and more.
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FAQs:-
(1) How many tests has Jasprit Bumrah played in his career?
A. As of July 2025, Bumrah has played 48 tests and taken 219 wickets at an average of 19.82. His strike rate is 42.6, and he has the best figures of 9/86 in the match.
(2) How many international wickets has Bumrah taken so far?
A. As of July 2025, Bumrah has taken 457 wickets in international cricket.
(3) Will Jasprit Bumrah play in the Asia Cup 2025?
A. There is no confirmation on whether Bumrah will play in the Asia Cup 2025 or not.
(4) When did Jasprit Bumrah make his test debut?
A. Bumrah made his test debut against South Africa at Cape Town on January 05, 2018.
(5) What is the age of Jasprit Bumrah?
A. As of July 2025, Bumrah is 31 years old. He was born on December 06, 1993.
