To play or not to play Jasprit Bumrah against UAE in the Asia Cup 2025

Team India has finally hit the ground when they trained hard for a good 3-hour session or so at the ICC Academy on Friday, September 5. Abhishek Sharma and Shivam Dube worked on their bowling, and Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav had long batting sessions; meanwhile, Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma had a stint as well. Incidentally, Jasprit Bumrah was in full steam, throttling down bullets in a mere session that was designed to accustom players to the soaking humidity of Dubai.

But that is what Bumrah really is. He isn’t the one who leaves a single ounce of effort out there. Perhaps that is also the reason his workload is of that critical importance. He likes to dominate, loves to rattle batters and thrives in proving that he is the best bowler of his generation. Irrespective of the format, Bumrah is a gem. ‘National treasure’, as Virat Kohli called him after the T20 World Cup 2024 win. But being that important, does Bumrah really need to play India’s opening game that is against the UAE? Let us discuss more about it below.

Why Bumrah should play in IND vs UAE Asia Cup match

There were debates if Bumrah should be selected in India’s Asia Cup squad. Despite a Test series that follows right after the tournament, the BCCI chose Bumrah to be part of the multi-nation competition. Now that he is indeed in the squad, why should he be left out?

Bumrah last played a game back in July for India. In fact, it was on July 26 that Bumrah was seen bowling. He missed the fifth and last Test against England and has been recovering and relaxing since. Now, India plays UAE on September 9. That means a gap of 46 days. India have to face Pakistan next on September 14 and that means Bumrah would love to have some game time before that high-octane fixture. So it makes all the sense for Bumrah to turn up and feature against the UAE, the hosts.

Also, suppose Bumrah doesn’t play and instead, India include someone like Harshit Rana in the first game. Then, irrespective of how Rana performs, it would be harsh on him to go back to the bench when the match against Pakistan arrives. We all know India needs Bumrah against Pakistan so why not give him a few overs against the UAE so that there is not any lack of habituation to the conditions?

Why Bumrah shouldn’t play in IND vs UAE Asia Cup match

Now the counterargument. Jasprit Bumrah needs decisive management. He shouldn’t be playing each and every match. Irrespective of what former cricketers say, Bumrah needs to pick and choose matches. After a gruelling Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Bumrah almost had to undergo surgery. He missed the majority of the action. Well, he missed the entire ICC ODI Champions Trophy, which also happened in Dubai (for India).

Guess what? India won it without him. That was a tournament featuring the best eight ODI teams in the world. And this is only an Asia Cup, where the second-best team after India is Sri Lanka, who are at the sixth spot in T20I rankings. So, the quality of the competition isn’t that high either. Hence, not playing against the UAE won’t cost anything to India.

There’s a valid argument that Bumrah should play matches that are only against Pakistan at the Asia Cup. After all, the two arch rivals can play a maximum of 3 games if both qualify for the finals. In this way, Bumrah plays all the important games without taking a toll on his body. Also, there is a turnover of just 72 hours after the Asia Cup final when the West Indies’ Test tour of India starts. In between that, India would be needing to fly home as well. And we all know how important Tests are for Bumrah, whose bowling average (9.23) is quite phenomenal against the Windies.

India’s Group Stage match at Asia Cup 2025

– Match 1: India vs United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Date: September 10, 2025 (Wednesday)
Time: 7:30 PM IST (6:30 PM local time in Dubai)
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai
– Match 2: India vs Pakistan
Date: September 14, 2025 (Sunday)
Time: 7:30 PM IST (6:30 PM local time in Dubai)
– Match 3: India vs Oman
Date: September 19, 2025 (Friday)
Time: 7:30 PM IST (6:30 PM local time in Abu Dhabi)
Venue: Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi