Indian cricket legend Dilip Vengsarkar became the latest to voice his opinion on the subject of Jasprit Bumrah after the star pacer's workload became a source of massive debate post the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where India managed to produce a heroic display and drew the series 2-2 under Shubman Gill's captaincy. However, Bumrah attracted criticism as the star pacer played only three matches and missed the two games. Quite ironically, India ended up winning both games that they played without the star pacer, which were the second Test at Edgbaston and the final game at the Oval. However, Bumrah was at his best when he did play as he took 14 wickets in three matches with two five-wicket hauls to his name. While chief selector Ajit Agarkar had confirmed that Bumrah will only play three games, a month before the series started, some former cricketers have criticised the strategy, including Sunil Gavsakar and Sandeep Patil. Vengsarkar, who is also a former chief selector, stated that Agarkar should have convinced Mumbai Indians owner Mukesh Ambani and Bumrah himself to miss a few games in the Indian Premier League (IPL) while mentioning that performances in Test cricket define a player's legacy. Although the 1983 World Cup-winner defended Bumrah and pointed out that he has undergone serious back surgery. " "It was a series for the ages and I wish Bumrah was available for almost all the Tests. We could have won the series if that was the case. "You can’t blame Bumrah for missing matches at times. We must remember that Bumrah has undergone a back surgery. His back is vulnerable and we must be cautious with him. You can’t question his commitment for the country. He has given his all whenever he has played for India. I hope he returns for India after adequate rest and when fully fit," said Vengsarkar in an interaction with Times of India. "Considering the importance of the India versus England Tests series and his fragile back, Bumrah should have been told by the BCCI, selectors and the Indian team management to miss IPL-2025. It was very important that we had a fully fit and refreshed Bumrah for this iconic series. If I was the India chief selector, I would have convinced Mukesh Ambani (Mumbai Indians owner) and Bumrah that it was important for Bumrah to miss the IPL for the England series, or play a lesser number of matches in the IPL. “Who remembers the runs and wickets taken in the IPL? However, people will remember Mohammed Siraj's lion-hearted performance in this series (23 wickets in five Tests), Shubman Gill (754 runs in five Tests), KL Rahul (532), Yashasvi Jaiswal (411 runs) and Rishabh Pant's (479) sublime batting, and Washington Sundar's superb all-round performance (284 runs & seven wickets in four Tests)," Vengsarkar added. In the 2025 IPL, Bumrah missed the first four games of the season for Mumbai Indians (MI). He played 12 games and took 18 wickets as the five-time champions were knocked out in the second qualifier. While playing just three games, Bumrah took a heavy workload in the England series as he bowled 119.4 overs.