In a massive jolt for Team India, pacer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of next month's T20 World Cup with a serious back stress fracture injury. Bumrah has a stress fracture and could be out of action for months, news agency PTI reported quoting a BCCI source.
"Bumrah is not going to play the World T20 for sure. He has a serious back condition. It's a stress fracture and he could be out for a period of six months," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Bumrah didn't travel with the Indian team to Thiruvananthapuram for the series opener against South Africa. The pacer last played against Australia in the two T20Is.
Bumrah is the second senior star player to be ruled out after Ravindra Jadeja, who is recovering from a knee surgery.
Bumrah missed the first T20I against South Africa on Wednesday and according to skipper Rohit Sharma it was a just a niggle for the ace bowler that ruled him out of series opener in Thiruvananthapuram.
"Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain in during India's practice session on Tuesday. The BCCI Medical Team assessed him. He is ruled out of the first T20I," BCCI had tweeted after the toss.
India's pace bowling has been the talk of the town since the Asia Cup debacle as they suffered second round exit owing to Super 4 defeats against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Dubai.
India got time to look after their pace-attack in the three-match T20I series against Australia but more or less it didn't get better or fully solved as they failed to defend 208-run total in the opening T20I at Mohali. However, India won the following two matches while chasing the target and clinched the series 2-1.
Recommended For You
In the first T20I against South Africa, Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar and Harshal Patel put up a show but only the latter is in India's T20 World Cup squad. BCCI has a tough task to replace the big boots of Bumrah.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in Australia from October 16 to November 13.
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh.
Standby players - Mohd. Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Deepak Chahar.