Mukesh Kumar set to rejoin Indian squad as Bumrah poised for rest in Ranchi Test

India may decide to rest Jasprit Bumrah, India’s finest pacer and the top-most wicket-taker from the series, for the Rajkot Test as Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar, who played for Bengal in the last round of the Ranji Trophy match against Bihar in Kolkata, is all set to rejoin the squad in Ranchi.

Kumar had a disappointing Test in Visakhapatnam but made a stunning comeback in the Ranji Trophy to pick a total of 10 wickets against Bihar. Kumar, with 166 first-class wickets, has played three Tests for India, grabbing a total of seven wickets in the process. 

Bumrah has been terrific for India in the series, particularly in the first two matches. With the home side deciding to play their matches on batting-friendly wickets, his reverse swing became a default mode of weapon. Even though he could take only two wickets in Rajkot across both innings, his dismissal of Joe Root opened the flurry of wickets in the first innings.

Resting Bumrah is a part of India’s workload management process, especially keeping an eye on the T20 World Cup in June. Bumrah is also poised to play for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.