Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to be available for India’s first match in the T20 World Cup against the USA. He is currently dealing with a viral fever. Reports from The Indian Express indicate that the team plans to rest Bumrah and will not include him in their lineup for the game at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
This means India will go into the match with only 13 available players, as injured all-rounder Washington Sundar is still at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru awaiting fitness clearance.
Bumrah visited the stadium the day before but missed the training session. This opens the door for Mohammed Siraj to participate in the match. Siraj was added to the team last minute after Harshit Rana injured his knee during a warm-up match against South Africa on February 4.
The BCCI released a statement:
“After consulting with a specialist and conducting scans, the BCCI medical team has ruled him unfit for the tournament. The team management wishes him a quick recovery. Mohd. Siraj will replace Harshit in the squad.”
Player Changes
Ishan Kishan is set to debut in the opening slot for India alongside Abhishek Sharma, replacing Sanju Samson. Kishan returned to T20Is impressively, scoring 76 and 103 against New Zealand. In the warm-up match against South Africa, he struck 53 runs off 20 balls, including seven sixes.
This will mark India’s first encounter with the USA in the T20 Cricket World Cup, aside from their upcoming match in 2024. In their last meeting, the USA challenged India before Suryakumar Yadav stabilized the innings. While India is favored to win, T20 cricket can be unpredictable, and no outcome is guaranteed.
It is expected that Bumrah will make a recovery within a week and will return for India’s upcoming matches.
