Jasprit Bumrah’s World Cup campaign in jeopardy due to a back issue

India is anxiously awaiting examinations on top paceman Jasprit Bumrah’s spine, fearing he could miss the next T20 World Cup due to a stress fracture. Bumrah missed the Asia Cup last month due to injury, but he returned for India’s T20 series against Australia, appearing in two of the three encounters. Bumrah “complained of back discomfort” during a training session prior to India’s series versus South Africa, which followed the 2 games against Australia, according to a BCCI statement.

After India’s second T20I victory against Australia in Nagpur, captain Rohit Sharma said it was fantastic to see Bumrah bowling at “full throttle.” “Honestly, coming back after a couple of months with a back issue may be hard,” Rohit stated after the game on September 23. “So we simply need to give him some more time. I’m not going to get into too much into about how he bowled – it was great to see him on the field… Slowly and slowly, he is regaining his rhythm, something he has been discussing while bowling in the nets. So it was great to see him on the green, bowling hard,” he added.

If the current ailment is a stress fracture in the back, it will be Bumrah’s second in the previous three years. In September 2019, the fast bowler was diagnosed with a “minor stress fracture in his lower back,” which sidelined him for nearly three months. Deepak Chahar and Arshdeep Singh stepped in as front-line pace bowlers, with Singh taking 3-32.

“After the toss of the first T20I against South Africa, Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain during India’s practice session on Tuesday,” the BCCI announced on Twitter. “He was evaluated by the BCCI medical staff. He will not play in the first #INDvSA T20I.”

Due to the injury, Bumrah may be forced to withdraw from the World Cup, which begins on October 16. The other three fast bowlers in India’s World Cup team are Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, and Singh, with Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar waiting in the sidelines as backups. It would be a significant setback for India, who missed Bumrah’s lightning-fast speed throughout the Asia Cup. Since his debut in 2016, the 28-year-old has claimed 70 T20 wickets in 60 appearances for India.