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Star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah was on January 09 (Monday) ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in a release said, "Bumrah, who was set to join the team in Guwahati ahead of the ODI series, will need some more time to build bowling resilience. This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure."
The Indian cricket board also mentioned that the "All-India Senior Selection Committee has not named any replacement for Jasprit Bumrah."
For the series against Sri Lanka, India have four frontline pacers in their squad - Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, and Arshdeep Singh. Apart from the frontline pacemen, captain Rohit Sharma will also have the luxury of Hardik Pandya, who with his medium pace will offer a much-needed cushion to the Indian bowling attack.
We take a look at three pacers who could replace Bumrah if the All-India Senior Selection Committee decides to add one more paceman to the Indian squad.
Shivam Mavi
Shivam Mavi enjoyed a sensational T20I debut recently when he finished with figures of 4/22 in four overs. In the next two matches, the right-arm pacer couldn't add to his wickets tally but showed promise with the bat lower down the order. The 25-year-old has come up the ranks from Under-19 cricket and has been impressive in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the Vijaya Hazare Trophy last season, Mavi finished with 14 wickets in seven matches with an economy rate of 4.15 while playing for Uttar Pradesh.
Jaydev Unadkat
Jaydev Unadkat returned to India's Test team after 12 years and repaid the faith put in him by helping the team win the second Test and complete a 2-0 whitewash of hosts Bangladesh in December 2022. Unadkat took three wickets in two innings, playing his second Test since 2010. The veteran paceman led Saurashtra to the Vijay Hazare Trophy title last season. His impeccable leadership and pristine skillset with the ball were on full display in the 50-over domestic tournament. The left-arm pacer ended the campaign as the leading wicket-taker in the competition. In 10 matches, Unadkat accounted for 19 wickets at an economy rate of 3.33 with one four-wicket haul and one five-wicket haul.
