3 Players who can be ideal replacements for Jasprit Bumrah in T20 World Cup 2022
India suffered a massive blow with the injury to star pacer Jasprit Burmah. On Thursday, the BCCI confirmed that Bumrah is about to miss at least the next 4-6 weeks of action due to a back stress fracture. Thus, he might not feature in the Indian squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. That has surely left a big hole in the Indian pace-bowling attack.
India has suffered in terms of their pace department and also with their death bowling. India didn't have a great Asia Cup 2022, and the pacers were below average. However, there was a hope that the addition of Bumrah might help India. But now, he is not available, so the management needs to look for someone else for the upcoming mega event.
Notably, Bhuvneshwar Kumar also didn't have a good performance in the last few matches. So what options does India have at the moment? Let's check three pacers that might get a chance to replace Bumrah in the T20 WC.
1. Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj is certainly among the best pacers that India has got in red-ball cricket, and he has proved many a time that he can be a lethal bowler on his day. But when it comes to the white-ball format, India doesn't consider him more often. He played his last T20I game earlier this year against Sri Lanka.
He ended up with a bowling figure of 1/22. However, India gave him a chance in the ODIs against Zimbabwe and West Indies and he did well. Siraj took four wickets in three games and his inclusion in the ongoing three-match T20I series against South Africa, hints that the thinktank is certainly thinking about him as a replacement for Bumrah.
2. Mohammed Shami
However, Shami has been picked in the reserve for the T20 World Cup, which suggests that the Indian team is looking to have him for the mega event. Being an experienced candidate, he offers many things to the team. He can bowl at a good pace with his swing and can trouble the batter with his odd bouncers.
But India hasn't looked up to him, especially in the T20 format. But as per some media reports, Shami is a prime candidate to replace Bumrah for the World Cup. However, he tested positive for COVID a week ago and is still recovering. So it will be a big ask to put him in the line that too without any game time. But being an experienced player who has played in Australia before can definitely help the team.
3. Deepak Chahar
Well, there is another bowler who has impressed everyone with his consistency in the last year or so. Deepak Chahar bowled pretty well in the first T20 against South Africa at Trivandrum and ended up with a figure of 2/24. After returning from injury, he has been travelling with the team for the last few months now.
He is a bankable bowler in the powerplay when the ball swings because he can swing the ball both ways consistently. Thus, he can be really effective on Australian pitches. But the issue is that India has already got Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who brings the same skill-set to the table. So it will be hard to fit Chahar into the XI. But his performance is consistently knocking at the door of the selectors. On top of that, he can use the bat as well when required.