After career-worst IPL season, Jasprit Bumrah begins journey to redemption ahead of England ODI series

Jasprit Bumrah has started his preparations (Image: Jasprit/ Instagram) After overcoming the toughest Indian Premier League season of his career, India’s pace leader Jasprit Bumrah has started preparations for his return to international cricket.The star fast bowler took to Instagram to share glimpses of his training session with the red ball, signaling the start of his preparations for the crucial second half of the season. Bumrah is set to return for India’s three-match ODI series against England starting on July 14 before turning his sights on the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in August.Bumrah was rested for the T20I series against Ireland and England as part of India’s workload management strategy. He also missed the one-off Test against Afghanistan, which was not part of the ICC Test World Cup cycle. However, the first pacer has been named in India’s ODI squad for England and is also part of the squad for the Asian Games later this year.

An unforgettable IPL campaign

While Bumrah remains one of the world’s best fast bowlers, IPL 2026 has proved to be an uncharacteristically difficult tournament. The right-arm speedster, representing Mumbai Indians, has managed just four wickets in 13 matches at an average of 102.50 and an economy rate of 8.36, with best figures of 1/15. It was statistically the worst IPL season of his career, leaving the veteran eager to rediscover his rhythm in the national colours.

Returning to ODI Cricket after almost three years

The upcoming ODI series against England will mark Bumrah’s return to the 50-over format for the first time since the ODI World Cup final against Australia on 19 November 2023. His inclusion ends a 968-day absence from ODI cricket, with the break largely due to careful management of India’s workload across formats.Despite his extended layoff from ODIs, Bumrah continued to shine in international cricket. He played a key role in India’s triumph in the ICC T20 World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s joint-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets in eight innings at an excellent average of 12.42 and an economy rate of 6.21. His match-winning spell of 4/15 in the final against New Zealand earned him the Player of the Match award and underlined his importance to the Indian bowling attack.

Eyes on the World Test Championship

Once the ODI series ends, Bumrah will move to the longest format as India begin another important chapter in their World Test Championship campaign.India will take on Sri Lanka in a two-match Test series from August 15 to 27. The opening Test will be played at the Galle International Stadium while the second Test will be held at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground. With valuable World Test Championship points on offer, Bumrah’s return to top form could be crucial to India’s ambitions in the new cycle.