Published 09:14 IST, December 25th 2019
Bumrah to skip Ranji game after consulting Ganguly, will directly play T20s vs Sri Lanka
Bumrah is all set to miss the Ranji game, after consulting BCCI President Ganguly, and will now directly make a comeback in T20s against Sri Lanka in January
It looks like the wait to watch star pacer Jasprit Bumrah steaming in to bowl might just get extended a little more as reports have revealed that Bumrah will not be playing his much-awaited Ranji Trophy game for Gujrat against Kerala. The death over specialist will now play in the T20s against Sri Lanka in January directly, as he makes his comeback after nearly five months of being out of action. It has been learnt that Bumrah did not want his comeback to be rigorous and hence shared his concerns with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and other board members. On Ganguly's advice, Bumrah will now focus on white-ball cricket, making sure his comeback is smooth as the star pacer is integral to India's T20 squad for the World Cup in Australia next year.
Bumrah to skip Ranji game
According to reports, Jasprit Bumrah had conveyed to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly that while he believed in working hard to make a comeback, he did not want it to be hectic, thereby ensuring that he will be fit to play a long season of cricket starting from the beginning of next year. BCCI President Ganguly has reportedly directed Bumrah to focus on white-ball cricket for now. The national selection panel had also asked the Gujarat team management to allow Bumrah to only bowl four to eight overs per day since he was making a comeback post an injury. However, the state team rejected the idea of the national selection panel and said that it wasn't in their scheme of things if Bumrah does not complete his full quota being a bowler in their side. Therefore, Ganguly's intervention will now mean there will be a slight diversion from the protocol and Bumrah will now head straight into international cricket.
Bumrah returns to cricket in January
Fit-again pacer Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 and ODI squads for next month's home assignments against Sri Lanka and Australia, while top batsman Rohit Sharma was rested from the T20s in the squads announced on Monday. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who had a deep gash on his knee which required 25 stitches, has also made a comeback to both the squads, chairman of selectors M S K Prasad announced after a meeting of the five-member panel here. Bumrah had been laid low by a stress fracture of the back and recently bowled during India's net session ahead of the second ODI against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam.
Updated 09:14 IST, December 25th 2019