Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has voiced his surprise and disappointment over the criticism directed at Jasprit Bumrah for managing his workload during the recent series against England. Chopra highlighted how the shift in fans’ views was shocking. They initially supported Bumrah as a potential captain before the series, only to harshly criticise him after the five-match contest.

The India-England series ended 2-2, with Bumrah taking 14 wickets at an average of 26.00 in three Tests. Notably, the two matches India won were without the speedster.

“There was talk about how India couldn’t find a better captain than Jasprit Bumrah. People were questioning why bowlers can’t lead, especially since he was vice-captain under Rohit Sharma and had successfully captained the team in Perth,” Chopra said.

“It started with praise, but now it’s turned into trolling, with people saying the team loses when he plays and that he doesn’t take full responsibility. From being ‘Boom Boom Bumrah,’ our fans have now become ‘gumrah’. I’m surprised and saddened by this,” Chopra added.

Chopra also referred to Bumrah as a generational talent, saying he would have no issue with the bowler featuring only in key matches to manage his workload effectively.

“We’re talking about a once-in-a-generation talent, someone who is far superior to the rest. Currently, he is the top bowler in the world across all formats. If Bumrah plays just three matches, so be it. If managing his workload means he can continue playing in key matches without breaking down, I’d do whatever is necessary to make that happen,” Chopra concluded.

Aakash Chopra felt India shouldn’t have announced Bumrah’s limited participation before the series, as it gave England time to strategise. He acknowledged it might have explained Bumrah’s captaincy omission but believed the communication could have been better.