Star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to be available for the entirety of the upcoming England tour, according to a report. India will play a five-match Test series against England, starting June 20, and the BCCI is likely to announce the squad on Saturday, May 24. Following the retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, majority of players who were part of the Australia tour are set to retain their spots. However, a couple of new faces will be travelling to England as part of the senior squad.
According to a report in The Indian Express, Bumrah is unlikely to play all five matches as he has informed the BCCI that his body can’t take the toll of more than 3 Test matches. “With Jasprit Bumrah already informing the board that his body can’t take the toll of more than three Tests matches, the selection committee were known to be in a dilemma on whether to fly out with a similarly iffy bowler,” the report said.
Bumrah had played all five Tests against Australia, before suffering a back injury during the fifth and final game as India lost the series 1-3. He was leading the team in the match after Rohit decided to opt out of the game owing to poor form.
Bumrah’s unavailability for the entire series comes as huge blow as his bowling partner Mohammed Shami is unlikely to board the plane to England.
Shami, who is fit to bowl for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL), hasn’t necessarily built up the required workload for the high demands of Test cricket, according to ESPNcricinfo. His last appearance for India in the red-ball setup dates back to the World Test Championship final against Australia in 2023.
According to ESPNcricinfo, a member of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) medical staff travelled to Lucknow this week to assess Shami’s fitness level before Hyderabad’s fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday.
It hasn’t been confirmed if the selectors have made up their minds about giving up on Shami for the series. However, it is highly likely that they will play safe and drop Shami unless a favourable report comes from the medical staff.
The 34-year-old stayed away from the on-field action for over a year due to an ankle injury. Shami recovered successfully from the ankle surgery in February 2024 but started suffering pain in his right knee, for which he has been seeking treatment.
(With ANI Inputs)
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