The national selectors of Team India on Friday picked seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami as a replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah, who had to pull out of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia starting on Sunday.
India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23.
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Mohammed Shami as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad. Shami has reached Australia and will link up with the squad in Brisbane ahead of the warm-up matches,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) honorary secretary Jay Shah informed in a release on Friday.
Meanwhile, other pacers — Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur have been named as backups and will travel to Australia shortly, the release added.
Bumrah was initially ruled out from the recent three-match T20I series against South Africa due to a back injury.
Notably, Bumrah, 28, had picked up a back injury earlier last month, which had ruled him out of the Asia Cup. Although he returned for the three-match T20I Series against Australia, which India won 2-1, but ended up picking just one wicket from two matches.
The BCCI Medical team later ruled out the fast bowler from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad. The decision was taken following a detailed assessment and in consultation with the specialists.
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami.