India’s Bumrah out of SA T20s with injury, doubtful for WC
India’s Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the remaining two matches against South Africa due to a back injury and remains doubful for the T20 World Cup starting next month.
Bumrah, who recently returned to the squad from injury, missed the team’s opening T20 win over South Africa on Wednesday ater he complained of back pain.
“He is out of the remaining two matches due to a back injury,” a senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told AFP on condition of anonymity.
“He awaits scan reports for his participation in the T20 World Cup, so fingers crossed.”
According to reports in the Indian media, the pace bowler has a stress fracture of the back and will miss the plane to Australia.
The BCCI, ahead of the T20 opener, said: “Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain during India’s practice session on Tuesday. The BCCI medical team assessed him. He is ruled out of the first #INDVSA T20I.”
It will be a blow to India if he misses out and the team may have to fall back on their standby players including pace bowler Mohammed Shami for T20’s showpiece event in October-november.
The 28-year-old Bumrah played two T20 internationals against Australia recently but was not at his best.
The team has missed Bumrah’s death bowling expertise in the crucial final overs.
He has played 30 Tests, 72 ODIS and 60 T20IS for India since making his international debut in January 2016.
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was forced out of the World Cup due to a knee injury that made him pull out of the Asia Cup midway through the tournament. Bumrah had missed the T20 Asia Cup in the UAE due to back injury, for which he underwent rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
The report added that the same back injury which had kept Bumrah out of the Asia Cup has aggravated into a back stress fracture. “Bumrah is expected to head to London for beter treatment next month. If he requires surgery, he could miss more than six months of action.”
ARSHDEEP EYES WC SUCCESS: Indian quick bowler Arshdeep Singh is stronger, fiter and riding high ater answering his critics with a match-winning atack on South Africa’s top order ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup.
The Sikh cricketer weathered a torrent of online abuse this month ater dropping a catch in the Asia Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan, and was rested for the following series against Australia.
But he returned to the field on Wednesday and stunned the Proteas with three wickets in the first over, including Rilee Rossouw and David Miller.
He and fellow fast bowler Deepak Chahar cut through the tourists at Thiruvananthapuram and held them to a pitiful 9-5 before the third over in seaming conditions.
South Africa finished 106-8 and India’s eightwicket win let the hosts 1-0 in the three-match T20 series, the final dress rehearsal for both teams before the World Cup starting in Australia next month.
“Purpose of the last 10 days was to get refreshed and come back stronger and fiter,” Arshdeep told reporters ater he was named man of the match, with figures of 3-32.
“Today was a really good example of showing good powerplay bowling,” he added. “We are looking forward to doing amazing things in the coming games.”
Arshdeep, who made his debut in England two months ago, has proved a welcome addition to India’s T20 bowling lineup, which has otherwise struggled to deliver in the crucial final overs.
His bowling for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League impressed national selectors and he returned the faith with figures of 2-18 on debut in Southampton.
‘IT FEELS GOOD:’ India have two matches to experiment before the Australia tournament and Arshdeep said that adaptability would be the key to success.
“When we go there, we will see how the pitches behave and how the conditions are and the dimensions of the ground,” he said.
Arshdeep is one of two recent debutants in the main squad headed to Australia in October, along with fast bowler Harshal Patel.
He said that team veterans had backed younger additions to the hilt -- even when he was on the receiving end of Indian fans’ vitriol.
Bumrah, who recently returned to the squad from injury, missed the team’s opening T20 win over SA ater he complained of back pain. According to reports in the Indian media, the pacer has a stress fracture of the back and likely to miss the plane to Australia