Agencies
India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup with a back stress fracture.
The 28-year-old, one of the best bowlers in the world, recently pulled out of India’s T20 series against South Africa with a back issue.
India say the decision was taken after “detailed assessment and in consultation with the specialists”.
They are seen as one of the favourites for the tournament which begins later this month.
India are already without all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who has a right knee injury.
A replacement for Bumrah will be announced “soon”, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said, with Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar the other pace bowlers on their reserve list.
The BCCI did not specify Bumrah’s injury but the International Cricket Council called it a back stress fracture.
India’s first match of the World Cup is against rivals Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 23 October.
The preliminary stage of the tournament starts on 16 October before the main group phase follows from 22 October.
India had a poor showing in last year’s T20 World Cup, failing to reach the semi-finals after they finished third in Group 2. Bumrah had a lukewarm tournament, picking up seven wickets in five matches at 13.57.
Bumrah’s loss is a huge blow to India’s hopes of improving on their showing last year. He is India’s third-highest wicket-taker in men’s T20Is with 70 scalps in 60 matches at 20.22, and his skill and accuracy with the yorker, in particular, will be particularly missed in the death overs.
Shane Watson, on The ICC Review, had stressed how big a blow Bumrah’s absence could be.
“Honestly, I think it’s going to have a huge impact on India’s chances of winning the T20 World Cup,” Watson said.
“He is one of the best bowlers in the world and India in particular, their fast bowlers, he is the main guy who can take wickets with the brand new ball but also is an incredible defensive bowler as well at the back end of the game.”
India have two fast bowlers in their reserves – Mohammad Shami and Deepak Chahar – and either of those two could be named as the replacement, although no official announcement has come.
Watson, though, chose Mohammed Siraj as someone who could potentially replace Bumrah.
“For me the player I would put in if Jasprit’s not available is Mohammad Siraj. Because of the firepower he presents, that’s one thing that the bowlers with India don’t necessarily have that firepower on Australian wickets on the bigger grounds with the pace and bounce.
“Siraj is great with the brand new ball. He’s fast, he swings the ball away but also his defensive skills are pretty good as well. And he’s got better over the last couple of years, with what we’ve seen in the IPL. So, for me he’s probably gonna be the one who is gonna have the most impact.”
India’s squad for the T20 World Cup: 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; Reserves:Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.
