Jasprit Bumrah set to miss entire New Zealand series, first two Tests against Australia: Report

Team India spearhead pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out of the ODI series against Sri Lanka on Monday, is likely to be out of action for much longer than expected and is unlikely to feature in the entire limited-overs series against New Zealand, while also being doubtful for at least the opening Two Tests of the four-match series against Australia in February.

As per a report by ESPN Cricinfo, Bumrah will require almost a month to attain full fitness as he has stiffness in his right glute and that will see him miss more action as he continues his rehabilitation.

Must Read: ‘Time to get ready to live without Bumrah’: Aakash Chopra concerned on India pacer’s fitness

“After clearing those tests at the NCA last week, Bumrah had fresh bowling tests in Mumbai under the supervision of Nitin Patel, the head of NCA’s sports science wing and the final authority on a player’s fitness clearance. It was after those tests, combined with the scan results, that it was determined Bumrah would need more rehab time,” the report said.

The report further added that the 29-year-old pacer would require atleast three more weeks of rest before he gets back to action and starts bowling at full tilt again. The development means that Bumrah will miss the first half of the Australia Test series.

Notably, Bumrah was ruled out of the ODI series against Sri Lanka after failing to recover fully from his lower back stress fracture. India Skipper Rohit on Monday revealed that Bumrah felt stiffness in his back a couple of days ago.

‘Bumrah has been working very hard at NCA on his rehab.’#TeamIndia Captain @ImRo45 on Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness status on the eve of the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka.#INDvSL @mastercardindia pic.twitter.com/AWQqJTtHr0

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 9, 2023

“Very unfortunate. The poor guy has been working really hard at the NCA. He felt stiffness in his back a couple of days ago and if Jasprit Bumrah is saying he is not feeling well, you have to pull him out. We need to be extra careful with Bumrah,” said India captain Rohit Sharma while addressing the pre-match press conference on the eve of the first ODI in Guwahati.

It is worth noting that Bumrah has not featured in competitive cricket since September last year due to back issues. The pacer was also ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup due to back injury.

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