Mohammad Shami formally replaced Jasprit Bumrah in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia after much speculation on the experienced seamer’s entry into the main playing squad.
Bumrah first went down with the recurring back issue prior to the Asia Cup 2022 in UAE in August. The pacer had a quick rehab at the NCA, where physios approved his participation in the side ahead of the home T20Is against Australia and South Africa.
The team management didn’t risk the pacer for the first T20I versus the Aussies in Mohali, but upon comeback, he looked undercooked for a pair of expensive spells in Nagpur and Hyderabad. Bumrah then missed the series opener against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram and was subsequently ruled out of that series.
He went for fresh scans at the NCA in Bangalore, the details of which were not clarified by the BCCI. But contrasting reports emerged at that time, wherein PTI claimed that the pacer had gone down with a stress fracture on his back and could be ruled out for the next six months. However, the Times of India alleged that the pacer will need only three-four weeks in recovery from what is a “stress reaction”, not a fracture.
That had raised the possibility of Bumrah making the trip to Australia and undergoing a rehab to be ready for the business end of the T20 World Cup. Ultimately, though, medical specialists told the BCCI it would be too much of a risk for him to travel for the month-long tournament, as revealed by skipper Rohit Sharma during a media interaction on October 15.
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The captain had said before departing to Australia that the team management and selectors will wait for the end of their two unofficial warm-up games in Perth against Western Australia before naming Bumrah’s replacement. The decision-makers stuck to their word and put a stamp of approval on Shami’s reported inclusion only after their second match versus WA XI.
Shami was himself carrying a dark cloud over his participation for the T20 World Cup after giving a positive Covid test ahead of the home T20Is against Australia. The pacer didn’t play any of the home games thereafter, as he underwent rehab at the NCA for the contagious virus. Not till the NCA physios and medical personnel green-signalled his reinclusion did the pacer board a flight to Australia on October 13.
The player directly reached Brisbane on Friday ahead of India’s two official warm-up games and will be meeting the rest of his teammates this Saturday as India gear up for their first warm-up game versus Australia at the Gabba on October 17. They will also take on New Zealand on October 19 at the same venue prior to the start of their campaign on October 23 at MCG against arch-rivals Pakistan.
Shami’s ascent from being one of the standbys to an integral member of the World Cup touring party has meant the addition of Mohammed Siraj into the reserves after his encouraging performances in the ODI format with the new and the old ball in Shami and Bumrah’s absence.
Another change made to the reserve list includes the swapping of Deepak Chahar with like-for-like bowling allrounder Shardul Thakur after the former was ruled out with a back injury, like Bumrah.
