De Villiers said it was great to see Bumrah "fit and ready to go". He also lauded the selectors for managing his workload extremely well.
Former South African batting great AB de Villiers hoped that Team India seamer Jasprit Bumrah would carry his red-ball form into the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE, but felt the pace spearhead might not feature in all games in the continental tournament.
Bumrah will be marking his return to T20Is after a long break. His last appearance in India colours in the format was in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup against South Africa last year, where he claimed 2-18 in four overs to help India end a 13-year world title drought.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, De Villiers said it was great to see Bumrah "fit
Based on a pre-planned workload management strategy, Bumrah played only three of the five Tests in the recently concluded series in England.
"I don't think he will play all the games (in the Asia Cup). I saw reports saying he will be earmarked for the games that matter, and I love that about the selectors being proactive. That is how you should be managing your senior and most impactful players," he said.
Responding to criticism that Bumrah has been 'picking and choosing Test matches', De Villiers pointed out that the sheer number of matches across various formats and leagues can impact players' well-being and career longevity.
"Some selectors understand it, and some do not. And once you start managing these players, you will get the best out of them, and I love it that they have started doing that with Bumrah," he added.
India will kick off their Asia Cup campaign against hosts UAE on September 10, while the high-voltage game against Pakistan is scheduled for September 14.
Both matches will be played in Dubai.
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