The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has relaxed ‘Return to Play’ rule for Jasprit Bumrah. The injured pacer is slowly regaining full fitness at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and has returned to bowling at full tilt. But unlike others who return through domestic cricket, Bumrah won’t be playing in Deodhar Trophy. Instead, NCA’s sports science & medicine team wants to get him up to speed for IND vs IRE T20 series. While Bumrah is sure to be back for Asia Cup 2023 and World Cup 2023, there is no certainty that he will be fully fit for IND vs IRE.
Even if Bumrah makes it to Ireland next month, it is unlikely that he will play all three games. India will play three games in five days starting August 18. And with Asia Cup and World Cup around, the medical team won’t take any risk with the 29-year-old pacer who is recovering from surgery for a lower back stress fracture.
“There used to be an unwritten rule that if someone’s coming back from a long lay-off due to an injury, he needs to play some domestic cricket to prove his fitness. I guess NCA and the selection committee have made an exemption for him since he is not a part of the West Zone squad for the Deodhar Trophy games,” A BCCI source told PTI.
Also Read: Watch Jasprit Bumrah back to full fitness, eyes to make comeback for Ireland T20
Jasprit Bumrah not match fit yet
Even though Bumrah has begun bowling at full throttle, the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI Selection Committee has not yet got the nod of physios and doctors at the NCA.
“Also it means that, till now, he is not match ready or else he would have played one Deodhar game,” the BCCI source told PTI.
The squad for Ireland T20Is will be announced at the end of this month as the selectors are waiting for an update on players’ recovery. Apart from Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are also at the NCA. However, neither of them are expected to feature in Ireland series.
“Before the Ireland selection meeting, the NCA physio will update Agarkar and Co with the fitness report of all the players. If physio’s report states that Bumrah, apart from bowling four overs, will also be able to field 16 overs and subsequently 40 overs (in ODIs) with full intensity, he will be selected. As per the latest information, the panel hasn’t received a green light from them,” the source added.
However, it’s not just bowling fitness. In humid conditions in Sri Lanka, Jasprit Bumrah will have to field for 3-4 hours in the deep. And only when physios are certain that he could do both, he will get the nod.
On Tuesday, there were a few still photographs of his bowling at the NCA but no videos, like one Shreyas Iyer posted of his batting and KL Rahul’s knocking sessions.
The last video that Bumrah posted of his bowling full throttle was on December 16, 2022 at the NCA, when he was doing his previous rehab after missing the T20 World Cup.
Subsequently, he was named in the home series but had to pull out after not feeling hundred percent and was sent for a back surgery in New Zealand.
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