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South Africa batting great and former captain AB De Villiers has advised the Indian team management to take the example of how the Proteas handled pace legend Dale Steyn’s workload while dealing with a prized bowler like Jasprit Bumrah.

Bumrah has hit the peak of his career, having claimed 77 wickets from 28 Test innings in the last two years at an outstanding average of 15.09. Even when India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia by 3-1, Bumrah was the best player of the series by a mile, claiming 32 wickets from just nine innings.

When he joined Mumbai Indians after four games in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, it inspired the five-time champions to bounce back from four defeats and win six matches in a row and make it to the playoffs.

Bumrah finished the tournament with 18 wickets from 12 matches at an average of 17 at a jaw-dropping economy of 6.67.

AB De Villiers takes Dale Steyn’s example for managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload

Despite his heroics for franchise and country, Bumrah is also in a vulnerable situation due to his back injuries in recent times that needs Indian management to not overuse their premier pacer.

De Villiers suggested that it is better to play Bumrah in all the remaining four Tests of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy against England and rest him for the white-ball series. He said that is what South Africa did with a gifted pace talent like Steyn who is South Africa’s highest wicket-taker in Tests with 439 wickets from 93 Tests.

“Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game. And this Test series probably would’ve been the one, in my opinion, to get him ready for all five Test matches. That’s what we used to do with Dale (Steyn). Rest him in lesser important T20 and ODI series and get him ready for the big Test series against Australia, England, and India away from home… New Zealand to a certain extent, depending on the rankings at that time,” De Villiers said.

It is unlikely that India will play Bumrah in all of the five Tests in the series, which also played a huge role in Shubman Gill being appointed the Test captain after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement.

Jasprit Bumrah unlikely to play all five ENG vs IND Tests

Bumrah was out of the Champions Trophy 2025 in February and March due to a stress- injury he suffered during the final Test in Australia.

“I don’t know if it was mismanagement or perhaps because he recently got back from injury, sort of saw the IPL as the warmup phase. Maybe, went to the surgeon, who let him know, ‘You can’t play the five Test matches.’” De Villiers added.

Bumrah played the first Test at Headingley and claimed 5-83 in the first innings. The 31-year-old didn’t bowl a lot in the second innings as England won the match by five wickets. He, however, took part in an optional training session ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston beginning on July 2.