A rejigged Indian Test team with massive boots to fill is already staring at its first big challenge with premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah declared not fit enough to play all five Tests in England later this summer.

While announcing an 18-member squad for the England tour here on Saturday, India's chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar said Bumrah does not have the clearance from the medical staff and physios to feature in all five Tests of the series starting in Leeds on June 20.

"I don't think he's available for all five Tests going by what the physios and the doctors have told us," Agarkar said when asked if Bumrah was available for the entire series.

India's over-reliance on Bumrah during their last tour of Australia, where he took 32 wickets in a little under five Tests, forced the ace pacer to limp out of the fifth and final match in Sydney and spend another three months recovering from a back-related trouble.

Bumrah had won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year as well as the Men's Test Cricketer of the Year in 2024 for his exemplary performances across formats.

With 11 wickets, Bumrah played a vital role in India's title-winning run in the T20 World Cup in the Americas in 2024, and he finished with a rich haul of 71 wickets in only 13 Tests last year.

But towards the end of a successful run, Bumrah was forced to push his limits as a bowler while being the stand-in captain in Australia. Given the incredible workload, he crumbled eventually and even admitted to it during the Melbourne Test.

"Bas ab nahi lag raha zor (Enough for now, I am not able to push any further)," Bumrah was heard saying on the stump mic during the fourth Test in which he also recorded most overs (53.2) bowled by him in a match.

The Indian team will also be without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the first time in many years..

From early January to the first week of April, Bumrah spent a considerable time in recovery and charting a path back to top-flight cricket. While India did not miss his services a great deal in the victorious campaign in the Champions Trophy, the right-arm bowler took nearly three months to make a comeback.

Bumrah finally got his clearance to join his Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians after missing few initial matches, but since then he has been at the top of his game, rising rapidly in the list of highest wicket-takers.

In only nine matches, Bumrah has 16 wickets in this IPL, which is five less than the chart leader.

Agarkar, meanwhile, said the Indian camp will keep an eye on how the series goes for the 31-year-old Bumrah to see how his body can take the workload.

"Whether it's four or three (Tests), I think we'll see how the series goes and how his body can take the workload," he said.

"Needless to say, how important he is so even if he's fit for whether it's three or four Tests, I think he's going to win us a few Test matches..

"We're just glad that he's fit (from the) little setback that he had in Australia. (It) wasn't too bad (and) he's back playing. I know it is T20 cricket at the moment. But we've seen what he's doing in the IPL so we're just happy that he's part of the squad," Agarkar added..

Bumrah’s absence earlier this year was another instance of him missing top flight cricket for a considerable duration due to a back-related issue..

He had missed the T20 World Cup due to a back injury in late 2022 and had undergone a surgery in March 2023 before making his comeback into the side in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup later that year..

Agarkar confirmed Bumrah’s unavailability for the five Tests in England was the reason behind him not being considered for the vice-captaincy job..

“Once he was not going to be available for all the Test matches… I think it is more important to have him there. You want him,” Agarkar said..

“There's always that extra burden when you're leading (and) managing 15-16 other people. There's a lot that takes out of him. We would rather have him bowling as well as he does and putting that extra burden on you.”.

“But he's aware of it. We've had a chat with him. He's okay with it. He knows where his body is at the moment and he'd rather look after himself and be bowling fit.”

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