Jasprit Bumrah is a valuable asset for any team but lately he has become a handle with care property for Team India. As the debate around his workload gets intense, former India batter Mohammad Kaif has dropped an explosive take on the same.
As per Kaif, Bumrah might announce his retirement from the game's longest format, explaining that the pacer has lost the battle against fitness. While it is difficult to argue if Bumrah would do the same or not but the drop in pace was highlighted by both experts and fans on Day 3 of the Manchester Test.
Bumrah maintained a pace in between 130-135 kmph range, which is a significant reduction from the series opener in Headingley. In Leeds and Lord's, Bumrah delivered at a much higher pace and consistently clocked the speed of 140kmph.
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While Bumrah struggled to rattle England's top-order at Old Trafford, things got trickier when the pacer was seen in discomfort during the second session on Day 3. However, he did come back to roll his arms in the final session but it was mostly ineffective.
“Jasprit Bumrah, I don't think you will see him playing in the upcoming Test matches. And he might even take retirement. He is struggling with his body. His body has totally given up. His speeds have been on the lower side in the Manchester Test. There is no speed in this Test match,” said Kaif in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter).
“And he is a selfless person. If he feels that he is not able to give 100 per cent for the country, that he is not able to win the match, that he is not getting the wickets, then he himself will refuse. This is my gut feel," he added.
Bumrah carried the team on his back in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under but it also broke his back that he had to leave the field midway during the final Test in Sydney. The injury ruled him out of action for over three months and he missed the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which India won.
Bumrah only returned to competitive cricket after missing the initial phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and even before the Test series began it was decided that the pacer would feature in just three Tests out of five.
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Kaif believes it is time that fans need to get used to life without Bumrah. "The speed, he is throwing the ball at a speed of 130-135. And the wicket he got, the catch that the keeper took, he also caught it by diving. His passion is the same. But he has lost to his body. He has lost to his fitness. His body is not supporting him.
“His failure in this Test match clearly shows that I feel there will be problems in the Test matches. You may not see him playing. First, Virat Kohli went. Then Rohit Sharma went. Ashwin is not there. Now, without Bumrah, get used to it, Indian fans. I feel that you will have to get used to watching Test matches without him as well,” noted Kaif.
The ex-India cricketer also noted that Bumrah's mind is sharp but his body has beaten him. “I pray that my prediction is wrong. But what I saw in this Test match, I feel that he is not enjoying himself. His mind his sharp, but he has lost to his body,” Kaif concluded.
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