Mohammed Siraj to replace Jasprit Bumrah in the ongoing T20I series against South Africa

With reports of Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the South Africa Series with a stress fracture in his back, India has opted to go for Mohammed Siraj in his stead. The BCCI has already confirmed that India’s elite expressman Bumrah will no longer be participating in the South African bilateral affair due to his back injury that may even rule him out of the World Cup. However, that discussion can be reserved for another day.

The All-India Senior Selection Committee has opted to replace Bumrah with Mohammed Siraj for the ongoing home series between India and South Africa. Bumrah was rested from the Asia Cup due to the same back injury that has reared its ugly head ahead of the showpiece event in October, intensifying the frowns on the Indian visages.

Even going by the numbers, except the yorker that castled Aaron Finch, Bumrah was not at his phenomenal best as he struggled to generate his natural pace against Australia. After he was heard complaining about a back ache in the build-up to the second South Africa T20I, BCCI decided to take no further risk and bring in Siraj as an immediate replacement for India’s premier paceman.

A senior BCCI official reportedly told PTI, “Bumrah is not going to play the T20 World Cup for sure. He has a serious back condition. It's a stress fracture and he could be out for a period of six months.”  The same report also stated that Mohammed Shami or Deepak Chahar may be the likeliest replacements in case Bumrah fails to make it to the T20 World Cup.