There comes good news for an injury-prone Indian team as Jasprit Bumrah is all set to get back to competitive Cricket. If he recovers on time then he could possibly feature in the Ireland series. Indian selectors haven’t announced the squad for the five-match T20I series against West Indies which is slated to be played from August 3 to 12.
The series would be early for his inclusion thus India’s assignment against Ireland will be seen as perfect for Bumrah’s inclusion into the Indian team. BCCI & team management would try to get Bumrah fit for the ODI World Cup 2023 & thus they would assess his fitness in the Ireland series.
The Ireland series aligns with the plan of the Indian team, selectors & Bumrah’s handles at the NCA & BCCI who wants him to return back to action slowly & gradually starting with the Ireland series. Later if all goes well then Bumrah will play in the Asia Cup 2023 which will be his first 50 overs assignment ahead of the ODI World Cup 2023.
Jasprit Bumrah would play some fixtures in the NCA before playing Asia Cup 2023
Jasprit Bumrah has been out of action since September 2022, initially due to back problems & later due to back surgery. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru & has completed 70% of the rehabilitation. With the Ireland series just two months away, India’s think tank hopes that he will be ready for the series in Dublin. Jasprit Bumrah had six months of rest & rehab since his surgery which is enough for completing almost half of the recovery process.
The criteria for Bumrah’s return is how he performs in real-time matches. He is expected to play a few games at the NCA in July. His handlers want to see how he performs in pressure situations. They actually want to observe Bumrah’s post-match condition as officials want to witness how they feel after playing a fixture. The decision to include him in the Ireland series will depend on his responses after those fixtures in the NCA.
On the other hand, KL Rahul has already walked into the NCA & is currently undergoing rehabilitation. After undergoing thigh surgery in May, Rahul’s return date is still uncertain. There are fewer chances of his participation in the Asia Cup 2023. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer who underwent a back surgery is still recovering & will unlikely feature in the Asia Cup 2023.
