Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has resumed training with the red ball, sharing images on social media of his bowling sessions as he gears up for the forthcoming Test season. The star pacer was rested for the T20I series against Ireland and England but has been included in India's ODI squad for the three-match series against England starting July 14, as well as the Asian Games squad from September 19. He also missed the one-off Test against Afghanistan at home, which was not part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle.
Recent form and IPL struggles
Bumrah's last competitive outing was the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where he endured a nightmare season, taking only four wickets in 13 matches at an average of 102.50 and an economy rate of 8.36, with best figures of 1/15. This was statistically his worst IPL season ever. However, he bounced back spectacularly in the ICC T20 World Cup, emerging as the joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in eight innings at an average of 12.42 and an economy rate of 6.21, including a match-winning 4/15 in the final against New Zealand, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for India's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, to be held in Galle and Colombo from August 15 to 27. The opening Test will take place at Galle International Stadium from August 15, while the second Test is scheduled at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo from August 23. Both matches will start at 10:00 AM IST. This series will be crucial for India's World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 campaign, which has been mixed so far.
India's WTC journey and future fixtures
India's WTC cycle includes a 2-2 series draw in England, a 2-0 home win against the West Indies, and a disappointing 0-2 home whitewash against South Africa. Later this year, from November 19, India will play two Tests against New Zealand away in Wellington and Christchurch. The final assignment of the WTC cycle will be the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home from January 21 to March 3, a five-match series against Australia. Bumrah's return to red-ball cricket will be vital for India's chances in these high-stakes encounters.
