After a prolonged injury layoff, Jasprit Bumrah is set to make his comeback to international cricket as the BCCI’s senior selection committee announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Ireland in Dublin. To add to the excitement, Bumrah has been appointed as the skipper for Team India as the second-string side gears up for the Ireland tour.
Indian cricket fans were delighted to witness a video of Jasprit Bumrah circulating on social media, where the pacer was seen bowling at full tilt during an intra-squad practice match at the scenic Alur cricket ground near Bengaluru. The three T20Is against Ireland are scheduled for August 18, 20, and 23. The selectors have also included Karnataka pacer Prasidh Krishna in the squad.
Prasidh Krishna last played for India in an ODI match against Zimbabwe in August last year before undergoing surgery for a stress fracture. Jasprit Bumrah’s journey to recovery has been challenging. After starting his rehabilitation in November, he was initially selected for the ODI series against Sri Lanka in January this year. However, discomfort resurfaced during his fitness drills, leading to further setbacks.
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His injury prevented Bumrah from participating in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 and the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2023. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru had initially aimed for his return during this year’s Asia Cup, set to begin on August 30.
NEWS 🚨- @Jaspritbumrah93 to lead #TeamIndia for Ireland T20Is.
Team – Jasprit Bumrah (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep…
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 31, 2023
The squad for Ireland will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad as vice-captain, with several regular members like Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill absent. However, both Pandya and Gill are expected to return to action during the Asia Cup after a short break from the game. Currently, they are playing in the ODI series against West Indies.
This tour to Ireland presents an excellent opportunity for several players in the squad, who are also part of the Indian team for the Asian Games. It will give Sanju Samson a chance to stake his claim for more frequent appearances in India’s white-ball formats. With many of these cricketers being seen as T20I specialists, the Ireland tour holds significance in their future plans.
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However, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer continue to be absent due to rehabilitation after their respective surgeries, and there is no set timeframe for their return to top-flight cricket. The BCCI has confirmed that both Rahul and Iyer have started batting at the NCA and are undergoing strength and fitness drills. Ahead of their departure to Sri Lanka for the Asia Cup, the World Cup hopefuls will undergo a week-long training camp at the NCA, where their fitness levels will also be assessed
Indian Squad: Jasprit Bumrah (Capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Shivam Dube, W Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan
