The BCCI, on Friday, October 14, 2022, confirmed that fast bowler Mohammad Shami will be the 15th member of the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2022, replacing the injured Jasprit Bumrah.
Jasprit Bumrah had been originally named in the main squad for the ICC tournament which will begin from October 16 onwards. Bumrah recently returned from an injury that made him miss the West Indies tour and the Asia Cup 2022, in the three-match T20I series at home against Australia.
He played two matches in the series and was slated to play in the first T20I against South Africa, also at home, when it was revealed that he had complained of back pain ahead of the encounter.
After being sent to the NCA, it was revealed by the doctors there that Bumrah had suffered a stress reaction to his back and though initially, it was thought he might make it to the T20 World Cup, the pacer was ruled out of the tournament.
Mohammad Shami had been named as one of the four stand-by players for the tournament, despite last playing a T20I for India in the previous T20 World Cup in 2021. He himself had missed the two T20I series at home after contracting Covid but proved his fitness at the NCA before flying out to join the Indian squad in Australia.
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Mohammad Shami as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup squad. Shami has reached Australia and will link up with the squad in Brisbane ahead of the warm-up matches,” BCCI said in an official release.
The release also mentioned that Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur have been named as backups and will travel to Australia shortly. Siraj is expected to replace Shami in the standby players’ list, while Shardul Thakur will replace the injured Deepak Chahar as the backup.
After playing two warmup matches against Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane, India will play Pakistan in their tournament opener in MCG on October 23.
India squad for ICC T20 World Cup:
Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Akshar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami
(BCCI inputs)
