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Team India fans' hearts skipped a beat when on Thursday (September 29) it was learnt that Men in Blue's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is likely to miss the upcoming T20 World Cup owing to injury. Bumrah’s back stress fracture injury continues to give him grief and is expected to inactivate the juggernaut pacer for a period of five to six months.
Bumrah didn't travel to Trivandrum for the first T20I match between India and South Africa which the former won by eight wickets on Wednesday (September 28).
Bumrah had earlier missed the entire Asia Cup 2022 due to a back injury. He spent around a month at National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru to recover, post which he was selected for the T20Is versus Australia. He missed the first T20I at Mohali but played the remaining two matches as India went on to win the series 2-1.
Meanwhile, former India cricketer and selector Saba Karim wants star India pacer Mohammed Shami to replace Bumrah for the T20 World Cup to be played in Australia from October 16. Recently, Shami sustained a back injury prior to India’s first T20I against South Africa on Wednesday in Trivandrum.
Former wicketkeeper Saba Karim reckoned Mohammed Shami should replace an injured Jasprit Bumrah for the T20 World Cup to be played in Australia later this year. However Shami has been kept as Team India's reserve for the marquee tournament. Shami sustained a back injury prior to India’s first T20I against South Africa on Wednesday in Trivandrum.
“I’ll go ahead with Mohammed Shami because he will find form although he hasn’t played, but he’s that kind of bowler who, once given an opportunity, can always step up and do the job for India. Plus, with this kind of experience, you need somebody at the top who can pick you wickets and you’ve seen Shami in the last Indian T20 league,” Karim was quoted as saying on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’.
“He’s such a bowler who can pick wickets with the new ball in the power play and India needs that. So, if Mohammed Shami can pick up early wickets with the new ball, that’s the kind of start India would need while defending the target or while trying to restrict the opposition from setting a huge target,” he added.
Mohammed Siraj, in the meantime, has replaced Bumrah for the rest of the T20I series against the Proteas. However, Karim, who played one Test and 34 ODIs for India from 1997 to 2000, backed Shami as the best replacement for Bumrah.
