In a massive blow to Team India, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is most likely to miss the upcoming T20 World Cup owing to a serious back stress fracture injury.
Sources privy to the development told Sports Tak that as of now no surgery is required but going by the scans conducted by medical team, the star pacer will be out of action for atleast four-six months.
Mohammad Shami/ Deepak Chahar are expected to make way into the India squad for T20 World Cup in Bumrah's absence as the final call will be taken by the selection committee.
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 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.
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.
Many senior players have been given adequate rest, keeping in mind their workload.
What is more interesting is the fact that Bumrah has played only five Tests, five ODIs and as many T20Is in 2022 apart from IPL games for Mumbai Indians.
Back stress fractures do not require surgery but a lot of time to heal.
Bumrah, who has a slinging action, puts a lot of pressure on his back during loading. Former West Indies pace bowling great Michael Holding had assessed that Bumrah was always a candidate for back injuries.
Earlier, India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the T20 World Cup 2022 due to a 'freak injury'. Jadeja suffered the injury midway through the Asia Cup 2022 in UAE.
Jadeja was asked to undergo some water-based training activity in the 'backwater' facility of Team India's hotel in Dubai. The spin-bowling all-rounder incurred the injury while doing the training.
India's death bowling has been an issue and captain Rohit Sharma himself has pointed it out. Veteran paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been under the pump due to his poor performances and the pressure to deliver will be on the shoulders of the young Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel in Bumrah's absence.
T20 World Cup squad (Subject to change): Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.
