Jasprit Bumrah, one of India’s frontline pacers in international cricket, is set to miss the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 due to a back injury.
After a week of speculation, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) put out a media release confirming Bumrah’s absence from their squad for the grandest tournament in 20-overs cricket.
“The BCCI Medical team has ruled out Team India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad. The decision was taken following a detailed assessment and in consultation with the specialists,” the media release said.
Jasprit Bumrah’s back problems began as early as July 2022, as he was sidelined for two months with a back injury upon returning from the tour of England.
Missing the Asia Cup 2022, Bumrah returned for the T20I series against Australia after undergoing rehab at Bengaluru’s National Cricket Academy. He featured in the second and third matches.
Jasprit Bumrah, however, reportedly experienced ‘back pain’ during a practice session ahead of the first T20I against South Africa on September 28.
This injury is the latest in Bumrah’s fitness struggles since 2018, having previously suffered a thumb injury (India tour of Ireland and England in 2018), lower-back stress fracture (India tour of the West Indies in 2019) and abdominal strain (India tour of Australia in 2020-21).
While Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel and all-rounder Hardik Pandya are the confirmed pacers in India’s 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup, the inaugural winners have until October 15 to name a replacement for Bumrah.
We discuss the alternative bowlers who will possibly take the field in place of Bumrah.
Mohammed Shami
While many onlookers were left a bit surprised by Mohammed Shami being added as a reserve bowler to India’s T20 World Cup squad. But given Jasprit Bumrah’s injury, the 32-year-old is relatively the first choice replacement.
Shami’s last T20I game for India was against Namibia at the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t played T20 cricket since then. In Indian T20 League 2022, the pacer led from the front as he bagged 20 wickets in team Gujarat’s championship-winning campaign.
Shami is a like-for-like replacement for Jasprit Bumrah, as a strike bowler. With 18 wickets in his T20I career, the Uttar Pradesh-born bowler will look to cap a splendid performance at the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
However, he will need to undergo the BCCI’s mandated fitness tests before he can be eligible for selection as he just recovered from COVID-19.
Deepak Chahar
Another reserve bowler in India’s 15-man squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is Deepak Chahar. The pacer, injured earlier this year, returned to play T20I cricket in the Asia Cup.
Chahar, the first Indian bowler to claim a hat-trick in T20 international cricket, has 28 wickets in 23 T20Is and is likely to play his first-ever T20 World Cup. While their bowling styles might differ, the 30-year-old is a quality bowler in his own right and can deliver once given the ball in his hand.
However, it is worth noting that Chahar has been ironed out as a cover for Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj was Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in the T20I series against South Africa, and might be favoured to continue the same in the T20 World Cup.
Siraj claimed a wicket in each of his five matches, and his performances in the Indian T20 League can add to his cause of making it to India’s first team.
The 28-year-old is known to strike well with the new ball, something echoed by former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson in an interview with ICC.
“The player I would put in if Jasprit’s not available is Mohammad Siraj, because of the firepower he presents,” Watson said on the ICC Review. “Without Bumrah, that’s the one thing India won’t necessarily have, which is vital on Australian wickets on the bigger grounds with the pace and bounce.” he added.
“Siraj is great with the brand new ball. He is fast, he swings the ball away but also his defensive skills are pretty good. And he’s got better over the last couple of years, with what we’ve seen in the Indian T20 League. So, for me he’s probably going to be the one who is going to have the most impact,” Shane Watson said.
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