Dravid Hopeful on Bumrah Injury
Toby Marshall
3 October 2022A few days back, the Indian cricket fraternity received a massive blow as the reports of Indian seamer Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the T20 World Cup surfaced. Bumrah missed the Asia Cup 2022 following a back injury and made a comeback to the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series against Australia.
“We are waiting for the official confirmation,” Rahul Dravid hopeful of Jasprit Bumrah playing the T20 World Cup for India
The pace spearhead looked in good rhythm during the series. However, while practicing for the T20I series against South Africa, the pacer was diagnosed with a stress fracture in the back. Various sources suggested that Bumrah will be out for three to four months. However, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly clarified that there are still some chances of the seamer making it to the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.
Just like Ganguly, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid also seemed optimistic about the Mumbai Indians star’s quick recovery. The former Indian captain revealed that the team is hopeful of getting the player until there is an official confirmation about his injury from the doctors.
Rahul Dravid reflects on Bumrah’s injury and availability
Rahul Dravid Shares His Thoughts
Speaking in the press conference ahead of the second T20I against South Africa, Dravid added,
“I rely on the experts to tell me what it is. They ruled him out for this series, and he’s being assessed. We’ll know in due course what happens in the future. Obviously, till he’s completely ruled out, till I get official confirmation that he’s ruled out, we’ll always be hopeful, right? We’ll always hope for the best, for us as a team, and also for Jasprit as an individual.
“As of now, officially he has been ruled out of this T20 series against South Africa – these two games. He has gone to the NCA, and we are waiting for the official confirmation on the next steps. We will see what happens over the next few days, and once we get some official confirmation, we’ll be able to share that.”
How Much Would India Miss Bumrah?
Jasprit Bumrah is an integral part of India’s setup across all the formats, and it will be difficult for any seamer to fill his shoes. The absence of the seamer was one of the main reasons behind India’s poor run in the Asia Cup. While the fans are concerned about India’s bowling unit, the head coach has shown faith in the other bowlers to step up and make use of the golden opportunity.
In the absence of Bumrah due to injury, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Arshdeep Singh are likely to be the three main seamers for the Men in Blue.