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NEW DELHI: Jasprit Bumrah is set to make his long-awaited return to India’s ODI side after being named in the 15-member squad for the three-match series against England beginning on July 14.The pace spearhead, who was rested for the recently concluded series against Afghanistan as part of workload management, will lead India’s bowling attack in English conditions.Bumrah’s return comes after an extended period of selective appearances in the 50-over format.Since India’s defeat in the 2023 ODI World Cup final, the 32-year-old has missed eight ODI assignments, underlining the BCCI’s cautious approach towards managing the workload of one of its most valuable players.India played ODI series in South Africa and Sri Lanka in 2023-24 and 2024 respectively without Bumrah.Due to injuries and BCCI’s plan to manage his workload properly, he was also absent from the home series against England, the 2025 Champions Trophy, tours of Australia and home contests against South Africa and New Zealand, before sitting out the Afghanistan series earlier this month.The decision to carefully manage Bumrah’s workload has been influenced by his history of back injuries and the importance of preserving him for major tournaments and multi-format commitments.The fast bowler has often been rested from bilateral assignments to ensure he remains fit for marquee events.With the next ODI World Cup cycle gathering pace, Bumrah’s availability for the England series represents a significant boost for India.His experience and ability to strike in all phases of the innings will be crucial in unfamiliar conditions.The BCCI announced the squad on Sunday, with Shubman Gill set to captain the side and Shreyas Iyer serving as vice-captain.Senior batter Virat Kohli also returned to the squad, although his participation remains subject to fitness clearance following a hamstring injury sustained during IPL 2026.India’s ODI squad for England tour: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli*, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar.
Do you agree with the approach to manage workload of Bumrah?
(* denotes the player is subject to fitness)
