Dilip Vengsarkar Says Bumrah Should Have Skipped IPL 2025 to Play All Five Tests Against England.
Who remembers IPL wickets when history is made in Test cricket? That’s the question former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar has raised while weighing in on Jasprit Bumrah’s workload debate during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
The five-match series between India and England ended 2-2, with Mohammed Siraj earning widespread praise for playing all five Tests and delivering a match-winning five-wicket haul in the final innings at The Oval. Bumrah, however, featured in only three Tests, a decision driven by workload management that has divided opinions.
Vengsarkar believes Bumrah should have skipped IPL 2025 for the Mumbai Indians to be fully available for the England series. Recalling Bumrah’s history of back issues — including surgery and missing games for both India and MI — he argued that the BCCI, selectors, and team management should have convinced Mumbai Indians owner Mukesh Ambani to release him for national duty. “It was very important that we had a fully fit and refreshed Bumrah for this iconic series,” Vengsarkar told Times of India.
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In the three Tests he did play, Bumrah bagged two five-wicket hauls, but Vengsarkar stressed that long-format achievements are remembered far more than IPL stats. He highlighted Siraj’s resilience, alongside stellar batting from Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant, as the series’ enduring memories.
While insisting India could have won had Bumrah played all five Tests, Vengsarkar stopped short of blaming the pacer, acknowledging his injury concerns and commitment whenever fit. He hopes Bumrah returns after proper rest, ready to lead India’s attack again.
