Will Jasprit Bumrah play all three Afghanistan T20Is? Here's what could happen

New Delhi: Jasprit Bumrah's return has given India's T20I plans a major boost, but the big question now is whether the star pacer will feature in all three matches of the upcoming Afghanistan series.

Bumrah has been declared fit and cleared to return to India's T20I squad after recovering from a left knee injury. He is also part of India's squad for the 2026 Asian Games.

India will face Afghanistan in three T20Is in Delhi on September 13, 15 and 17, giving the team a short turnaround between matches.

While Bumrah's fitness clearance means he is available for selection, it does not necessarily mean he will be asked to play every game.

After returning from an injury lay-off, India could look to manage his workload, particularly with the Asian Games campaign also coming up later this month.

The pacer has not played since India's ODI tour of England in July, making his return to competitive cricket a closely watched one.

His fitness was being monitored ahead of the Afghanistan series, with a match simulation forming part of the process before his eventual clearance.

One possible approach for India would be to bring Bumrah straight into the playing XI for the opening match and assess his workload before deciding on the remaining games.

Another option could be to rotate him across the three matches, allowing the team to give opportunities to its other pace options while keeping Bumrah fresh for the Asian Games.

India also have Arshdeep Singh and replacement pacer Yash Thakur in the squad.

Thakur was brought in after Harshit Rana was ruled out of both the Afghanistan series and the Asian Games with a fresh injury setback.

With all three Afghanistan matches being played at the same venue, India have some flexibility in managing their bowling attack.

The short two-day gap between the first and second T20Is, followed by another two-day gap before the final game, could also make workload management important.

For now, Bumrah's selection is the immediate positive for India. Whether he plays one, two or all three matches is likely to depend on the team's assessment of his match fitness and workload as the series progresses.

His return, however, gives India a valuable option ahead of a busy month that includes the Afghanistan series, a one-off T20I against Japan and the Asian Games.