Ahead of India’s white-ball series against England, a five-match T20I and three-match ODI series, former cricketer Deep Dasgupta has raised concerns about the fitness of key bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. As India prepares for this crucial series, their final tune-up before the Champions Trophy, the availability of Bumrah is uncertain due to ongoing back issues.
Bumrah, who impressed during the recent Test series against Australia, finishing with 32 wickets in five matches, is struggling with back spasms. Despite his remarkable performance, including a career-best 6/76, Bumrah’s fitness has been compromised, and he couldn’t bowl on the third day of the Sydney Test. Given these concerns, Dasgupta strongly recommends giving Bumrah a break until the Champions Trophy, advising the Indian selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir not to risk his fitness during the England series.
“Let him rest. Don’t even think about it till the Champions Trophy. Maybe the last ODI if he’s ready for it. We are not sure about the extent of that back spasm, so we need to figure that out,” Dasgupta said on Star Sports.
Dasgupta also expressed the need to rest Mohammed Siraj, who bowled 157.1 overs during the intense Test series against Australia. He emphasized that Siraj also deserves a break to avoid burnout.”Siraj has bowled 150-plus overs in the series, so he deserves a well-deserved rest,” Dasgupta added, suggesting that the team should “park” both Bumrah and Siraj for the time being.
On the other hand, Dasgupta recommended the inclusion of Mohammed Shami in the squad for the England series. Shami has been active in domestic cricket, featuring in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and has proven his fitness. Dasgupta believes Shami could be a valuable addition, particularly with the Champions Trophy on the horizon. “Shami is ready to bowl four overs or 10 overs. It wouldn’t be a bad option to keep him in the loop for the Champions Trophy,” he concluded.
As India finalizes its squad for the series, the fitness of key players like Bumrah and Siraj will play a pivotal role in shaping the team’s strategy for the upcoming tournaments.
