Team India was handed another massive blow after star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the upcoming T20 World Cup, with team's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's unavailability for the all-important tournament owing to a serious back stress fracture injury on Thursday (September 29).
Bumrah was also rest for the Asia Cup for the just-concluded Asia Cup. However, he came back to the fold in the three-match T20I series against Australia as he played just the second and the third match after missing the first tie.
Bumrah looked in his element in the second T20I against Australia where he snared two wickets in the eight-over-a-side contest.
Meanwhile, ahead of the marquee T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, star pacer Josh Hazlewood admitted that Bumrah is probably the best bowler in the world in the shortest format. “He’s probably the best bowler in T20s as far as I’m concerned,” Hazlewood, who is currently the top ranked bowler in the T20 rankings, told reporters in Sydney on Friday morning.
“Seeing him go about his business in the IPL and international cricket, a couple of unbelievable yorkers throughout the last few games in India, his change of pace is phenomenal. They’re really going to miss him,” he further added.
Bumrah is also out of the remainder of the South Africa T20I series. However, India have announced Mohammed Siraj as the replacement for Bumrah for the remainder of the T20I series against South Africa.
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).
BCCI had earlier informed of Bumrah's injury just minutes before the toss took place at the Greenfield Stadium. "Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain in during India's practice session on Tuesday. The BCCI Medical Team assessed him. He is ruled out of the first T20I," BCCI had tweeted.
India squad for South Africa T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Umesh Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Shahbaz Ahmed, Md. Siraj.
