Jasprit Bumrah will not play the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka starting Tuesday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources have said a call has been taken not to rush him into action so soon. He is not among the players who have reached Guwahati, the venue for the first ODI.
The BCCI had earlier said that Bumrah (29) has been added to the ODI on the recommendation of the all-India selection committee. “The All-India Senior Selection Committee has included pacer Jasprit Bumrah in India’s ODI squad for the upcoming Mastercard 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka,” the BCCI had said in a January 3 media release.
Bumrah has been out of cricketing action since September 2022 and was also ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 WC due to a back injury. “The pacer has undergone rehabilitation and has been declared fit by the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He will be joining the Team India ODI squad soon,” the BCCI had further said.
However, it has now emerged that he will not be playing the ODIs with recommendation particularly coming from the NCA staff, the decision having been taken with the important assignments like Test series against Australia and World Cup later in the year taken into consideration.
The BCCI later confirmed Bumrah’s unavailability and said the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure. “Bumrah, who was set to join the team in Guwahati ahead of the ODI series, will need some more time to build bowling resilience,” the BCCI said in a statement adding, that the Selection Committee has not named any replacement.
Sources have said he might feature in the series against New Zealand against whom India will play three ODIs and as many T20I in that order from January 18.
While Bumrah has stayed away from the national squad, other members of the Indian team, including skipper Rohit Sharma, vice-captain KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, who were not part of the T20I series, have joined the squad in Guwahati.
