BCCI gives major fitness update on Jasprit Bumrah ahead of 2023 Cricket World Cup - Reports

Amid questions over injured Jasprit Bumrah’s future, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said they are confident that the speedster will be fit and available for the 2023 Cricket World Cup, a source told PTI.

For the uninitiated, the 29-year-old has been out of action due to a back injury since October 2022. He has already missed the 2022 T20 World Cup and will also be unavailable for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final.

Bumrah last played for India against Australia during the T20I series at home in September last year. He was unable to play in the third T20I due to a recurring injury sustained ahead of the 2022 Asia Cup.

The pace spearhead was recently ruled out of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) as a precautionary measure ahead of the ICC’s marquee event. India will host the ODI World Cup later this year in October-November. The schedule is expected to be announced soon.

In a recent interview, India and MI captain Rohit Sharma said he has now become used to playing without Bumrah. Speaking on the post-match show after MI vs RCB, he said:

"From the last six to eight months, I am used to playing without Jasprit Bumrah. Of course, this is a different setup, but someone needs to put their hand up and step up. We can't keep dwelling on it. Injuries are not in our control. We can't do much about it..”

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India to play three-match ODI series against Afghanistan, new BCCI chairman to be announced soon

The BCCI source, meanwhile, also confirmed that Team India will play a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan after the conclusion of the ICC WTC final, which starts on June 7.

It will be the first-ever bilateral series between the two teams, who have, so far, played each other only in ICC tournaments.

The BCCI also confirmed that it will soon appoint the chairman of the selectors. For the unversed, the post has been lying vacant since the resignation of Chetan Sharma in February this year.

As of now, former Indian cricketer Shiv Sundar Das is the acting chairman based on seniority.