Asia Cup 2025 | 'Open your mouth carefully': Jasprit Bumrah's critics lambasted

Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif has welcomed Jasprit Bumrah's return to T20I cricket following his recent performance in England. Kaif defended Bumrah against critics who questioned his fitness during the fourth Manchester Test.Bumrah is set to return to T20I cricket after spending over a year focusing on Test cricket, including tours to Australia and England. He claimed 32 wickets in Australia and took 14 wickets with two five-wicket hauls in England. However, his struggles with the new ball and fitness concerns in Manchester raised questions about his workload and Asia Cup participation.Kaif addressed critics who linked India's Test losses in England to Bumrah's presence in the team."Open your mouth carefully because you mentioned that whatever matches we played in England, we lost when he played. You better look at how many matches he has played and India won them, go and find out that as well, regardless of the format. When he plays, how many times does he give match-winning performances? Go and find that stat as well. Bumrah is a promising diamond of India. You do not report him. There are no stains on him," Kaif said.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Kaif explained his previous prediction about Bumrah's limited Test cricket involvement due to injury concerns, adding, "I already said that Bumrah might not be seen playing long in Tests, but in white-ball cricket, if India comes in the Asia Cup final, then he might play seven games. He will bowl 28 overs (four overs per match), and I am speaking about a two or three-week-long tournament. There is no problem in bowling 28 overs; he will get time to recover. You can rest him in one odd match against Oman or weaker teams. After workload management and a break, he will be used. I think he would not face any issues in bowling four overs. You need Bumrah in T20 because he can change the course of the game with his bowling."Kaif expressed disappointment over Mohammed Siraj's exclusion from the team. Siraj was the leading wicket-taker during the England tour with 23 wickets in five matches."There is no Mohammed Siraj as well, and he will be missed because of the form he was in, the way he bowled in England, bowled longer spells in each game. By bowling that much, you have the bowling form. He plays IPL and picked up wickets as well. If you see, he is bowling exceedingly well in the first 10-12 matches. So, I am surprised he was not in the 20-member side," he added. "I am disappointed because he finished the series 2-2 on his own. We know how well he bowled, and when you have the form, you want to back that bowler, and that is why I am disappointed not to see him in the Asia Cup. He is an equally brilliant bowler even in white-ball cricket."Siraj's recent performance includes taking 16 wickets in 15 matches for Gujarat Titans during IPL 2025, with best figures of 4/17. In T20Is for India, he has claimed 14 wickets in 16 matches, with his last appearance against Sri Lanka in July last year.India's Asia Cup campaign begins against UAE on September 10, followed by a match against Pakistan on September 14 in Dubai. Their final group stage match against Oman is scheduled for September 19 in Abu Dhabi.The tournament's Super 4 stage will include the top two teams from each group. If India tops Group A, all their Super 4 matches will be in Dubai. A second-place finish would mean one match in Abu Dhabi and two in Dubai. The Super 4 stage runs from September 20 to 26, with the final scheduled for September 28 in Dubai.