Jasprit Bumrah Flies Back to Mumbai for Personal Reasons, Expected to Return for Super Four Stage

India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has departed for Mumbai due to personal reasons, according to reliable sources. The pacer’s temporary absence has also raised concerns as he is anticipated to rejoin the squad only during the crucial Super Four stage, set to commence on September 6.

The unexpected departure of Jasprit Bumrah comes as a surprise to the Indian cricket fraternity. However, sources have indicated that he is likely to return during the Super Four stage, where his expertise and skill could play a pivotal role for the team. In his absence, experienced pace campaigner Mohammed Shami, who did not feature in the initial clash against Pakistan in Kandy, could potentially step in to fill the void during the forthcoming match against Nepal.

Bumrah’s return to international cricket after an injury hiatus of over 10 months was marked by his captaincy of a young Indian team during the T20I series against Ireland. Not only did he lead the side to a series victory, but he also exhibited exceptional fitness and rhythm, claiming four wickets in two matches. His standout performance included impressive figures of 2/15.

In Group A of the tournament, Pakistan has secured a place in the Super Four stage with three points, achieved through a win against Nepal and a rain-marred draw against arch-rivals India, resulting in shared points. With India (1 point) and Nepal (0 points) eyeing qualification, their clash assumes significant importance as both teams must secure a victory to progress to the Super Four stage.

India Squad for Asia Cup: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (travelling reserve).

Nepal Squad for Asia Cup: Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Mousom Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud.