FIT AGAIN JASPRIT BUMRAH RETURNS TO INDIA SQUAD

Fit-again Jasprit returns to Indian squad after four months of recovery; will play home games against Oz, Lanka

Afit-again Jasprit Bumrah will headline India's pace attack in the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka (T20) and Australia (ODIs) in January next year while vice-captain Rohit Sharma was on Monday rested from the series versus the islanders.

Bumrah was out with a stress fracture but has now got the go ahead of Indian team physio Nitin Patel to play Gujarat's next Ranji Trophy game in Surat. Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan is also back in both the squads, while pacer Mohammed Shami got a break from the T20 series.

"Jasprit Bumrah is back in both the teams for Sri Lanka and Australia and we have rested Rohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami for the Sri Lanka T20s. Shikhar Dhawan also comes back and Sanju Samson will be the back-up opener in T20s," chairman of selectors MSK Prasad told reporters at an informal gathering after squad selection here.

India will take on Sri Lanka in three T20 Internationals from January 5, followed by three ODIs against

Australia from January 14.

However, it was bad news for the fast-rising Deepak Chahar, who has aggravated his back injury and will be out till the start of next year's IPL. is injury means that Navdeep Saini will continue to be in the squad.

"Against Australia, we have all three openers available --Shikhar, Rohit and KL Rahul," Prasad said.

Rohit has appeared in 47 matches across formats this year, three more than even skipper Virat Kohli and a break was long on the cards.

While talented opener Prithvi Shaw, back in the mix after serving an eightmonth doping ban, will be going to New Zealand with India A, there is still some time before Hardik Pandya recovers from his back surgery.

"(As for) Hardik, we will have a look at him in the third week of January," Prasad said, indicating that the allrounder could only be available in the second half of New Zealand tour.

The tour comprising, five T20 Internationals, three ODIs and two Test matches, gets underway from January 24. Prasad, however, was tightlipped when asked if Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be available for selection anytime soon.