Bengaluru: Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s selection in the Indian team for the Ireland T20I tour is hinged on his fitness assessment during a couple of practice games, to be organised by the National Cricket Academy, the BCCI informed on Friday.
Bumrah, who has been out of action for more than 10 months, has undergone a surgery for lower back stress fracture and has had a long rehabilitation at the NCA along with fast bowler Prasidh Krishna, who also suffered the same injury.
The BCCI secretary Jay Shah informed in a release that Rishabh Pant has started his skills training (batting and wicketkeeping), while KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, who are recovering from hamstring and lower back surgeries respectively, are still some time away from regaining full fitness.
“The two fast bowlers (Bumrah and Krishna) are in the final stages of their rehab and are bowling with full intensity in the nets. The duo will now play some practice games, which the NCA will organise,” Shah said in the release.
“The BCCI Medical Team is pleased with their progress and will make a final decision after assessing them following the practice games,” the release further stated.
The Indian team management and NCA medical team want Bumrah to first assess his bowling fitness in a 20-over match, and then play the Asia Cup to add miles to his legs, in the lead-up to the 50-overs World Cup where his presence is a must.
It is not just about bowling four or 10 overs in a different formats but also about being able to stay on the field for 50 overs, and may be do a lot of sprinting in the deep to save boundaries.
For that, Bumrah needs to prove his overall fitness before the selectors can pick him for the Ireland tour.
Both Rahul and Iyer, who were certainties in the 50-overs format, are returning from surgeries and have started batting in the nets. If one reads between the lines, it is clear that the duo will be racing against time to be fully fit for the Asia Cup in August-September.
“They (Rahul and Iyer) have resumed batting in the nets and are currently undergoing strength and fitness drills. The BCCI Medical Team will increase their intensity in terms of both skills and strength and conditioning in the coming days,” it said.
The statement effectively means that currently both are on low-intensity training and will take time to regain full strength in their hamstring and lower back respectively.
The most heartening aspect of the BCCI update was Pant returning to the nets, only about seven months after a life-threatening, horrific car crash last December.
Pant has undergone a knee surgery and the road to recovery has been a long and arduous one, but to everyone’s relief, he is returning towards full fitness at a faster pace than what one had thought.
“He (Pant) has made significant progress in his rehabilitation and has commenced batting as well as keeping in the nets. He is currently following a fitness programme designed for him which includes strength, flexibility and running,” Shah informed.
