The more Jasprit Bumrah keeps playing, the more he will be in rhythm: Wasim Jaffer

Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: ICC)

Following widespread reports and discussions regarding India’s premier pace-bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, who clinched the Player of the Match award in India’s initial two fixtures against Ireland and Pakistan, there has been speculation about resting him for the final group-stage match to manage his workload for the tournament’s later stages. 

However, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer recently released a video on his YouTube channel opposing this notion. Jaffer argued that continuous play would help Bumrah maintain his tempo and implied that a pivotal player like Bumrah should not lose momentum ahead of the Super Eight stage.

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“The more Bumrah keeps playing, the more he will be in rhythm. You do not want Bumrah to lose his rhythm, such an important player. So, I do not think it is needed to rest him,” said Jaffer.

Even when you know what venue you’re going to play at, it doesn’t matter: Jaffer

There has been widespread dissatisfaction from various global media outlets regarding the perceived unfairness of Team India knowing the location of their semi-final match (Providence Stadium, Guyana), ahead of time. However, Jaffer unequivocally dismissed these concerns, asserting that the venue is inconsequential.

He emphasized the importance of playing well and minimizing errors in critical moments, given the immense pressure of knockout matches or any high-stakes game. Jaffer further rebutted by highlighting the challenging nature of India’s initial three matches in New York, which were indeed difficult. Despite India bringing four spinners, he noted that the conditions were not favorable for spin-bowling, thus countering the argument that it provided an upper hand.

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“Even when you know what venue you’re going to play at, it doesn’t matter. You have to perform well on the day. India have started their campaign in tough conditions in New York. You’ve brought four spinners but these are different conditions, so definitely it’s not an advantage,” added Jaffer.