Former Indian selector Chetan Sharma has backed Jasprit Bumrah’s workload tactics ahead of the Asia Cup. Bumrah played three out of the five Test matches against England and since then a lot of cricket boffins have questioned him for picking and choosing matches.

The ace pacer suffered a back injury on the Australia tour in the fifth Test match at Sydney and since then the selectors and team’s think tank wants to manage his workload with guile. 

Chetan said Bumrah should listen to physios and he should manage his workload if he is asked to do so by the medical experts.

“If the medical team advises, if the doctor tells me that I have to take antibiotics, then I have to consume them. If our physios is telling a player to manage workload, I think we should listen to them because they are the better judges,” Sharma told PTI.

Sharma said he is proud of the way India played in England and he expects the team to do well in the Asia Cup.

“I know that whoever is selected will be the best for the country. And the kind of cricket we are playing right now, I’m really proud with the way India played in England. And I’m very confident that we are definitely going to win the Asia Cup (to be played in T20 format) because soon after that we are playing the T20 World Cup (in 2026) in India,” he added.

Speaking on Shubman Gill’s potential selection for the Asia Cup, Sharma gave a measured answer. Gill recently scored 754 runs in five Test matches against England whereas he amassed 650 runs in IPL 2025 for Gujarat Titans.

“Look, that is up to the selectors what they see. My opinion does not matter because I am no longer the chairman (of selectors), so I will only say that the best possible team should be selected. We have such good cricketers that not just the top-15 but even if the top-30 are selected, they are all very good. Really proud of them,” he added.

Gill will lead the North Zone in the Duleep Trophy.