Bumrah expected to return for T20s versus Sri Lanka 

Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah is on his way to recovery from a stress fracture and might return to the national team earlier than expected. Bumrah who has been out of action since the tour of West Indies was slated to return to the national side for the tour of New Zealand starting late January. However, he is recovering pretty well and was seen bowling at full tilt in the Indian nets in Bengaluru. Reports have now emerged that the team management is eager to bring him back for the T20I series against Sri Lanka.

As per reports in the Times of India, the specialist set of physios were convinced with Bumrah’s fitness which made them believe that the speedster could make a comeback sooner than expected. Bumrah bowled with hostility in the Indian nets and the physio was so impressed with his progress that he gave him the green signal to even play Ranji Trophy for Gujarat. According to a source quoted by the Times of India, his recovery has been quicker than initial estimates

“When Bumrah trained with the Indian team in Vizag, the physio told him that he was looking good enough to start playing for Gujarat. The support staff also felt that Sri Lanka series, if not the ODIs against Australia later, could be the right platform to get him back before the team goes on the tour of New Zealand later in January. Bhuvneshwar Kumar too was cleared after he attended a couple of sessions with the team during the Bangladesh Test in Indore last month.”

Bumrah who has been the spearhead of the Indian pace attack for the last 2 years will look to make a comeback very soon. India is slated to host Sri Lanka and Australia in January for 3 T20I’s and 3 ODI’s respectively.

However for the speedster to return to the national fold, he has to first undrgo a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. There were reports that Bumrah’s decision to train with own specialists during the recovery process didn’t go down well with Rahul Dravid who is the current director of NCA. They refused to conduct his fitness tests. However newly appointed BCCI president Sourav Ganguly haa confirmed that all Indian players needs to go through NCA to prove his fitness and it will be no exception with Bumrah.