Bumrah out of South Africa T20s with back injury

India’s Jasprit Bumrah stretches during a practice session on the eve of the first Twenty20 match against South Africa at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday. (AFP)

• The Indian quick looks doubtful for the T20 World Cup starting next month

India’s Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the remaining two matches against South Africa due to a back injury and remains doubtful for the T20 World Cup starting next month. Bumrah, who recently returned to the squad from injury, missed the team’s opening T20 win over South Africa on Wednesday after he complained of back pain. “He is out of the remaining two matches due to a back injury,” a senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) told AFP on condition of anonymity. “He awaits scan reports for his participation in the T20 World Cup, so fingers crossed.” According to reports in the Indian media, the pace bowler has a stress fracture of the back and will miss the plane to Australia. The BCCI, ahead of the T20 opener, said: “Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain during India’s practice session on Tuesday. The BCCI medical team assessed him. He is ruled out of the first #INDvSA T20I.” It will be a blow to India if he misses out and the team may have to fall back on their standby players including pace bowler Mohamed Shami for T20’s showpiece event in October-November. The 28-year-old Bumrah played two T20 internationals against Australia recently but was not at his best. After the win against Australia in the second T20I in Nagpur, India captain Rohit Sharma had said it was good to see Bumrah bowling at “full throttle”. “Honestly, coming back after a couple of months, a back injury can be tricky,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation on September 23. “So, we just have to give him more time. I am not going to analyse too much about how he bowled – it was good to see him on the park … Slowly and steadily he is coming back to his rhythm, that’s what he’s been talking about when he is bowling in the nets as well. So it was good to see him on the park, bowling full throttle.” The team has missed Bumrah’s death bowling expertise in the crucial final overs. He has played 30 Tests, 72 ODIs and 60 T20Is for India since making his international debut in January 2016. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was forced out of the World Cup due to a knee injury that made him pull out of the Asia Cup midway through the tournament. India are in Group 2 in the Super 12 round of the T20 World Cup, along with Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and two teams from the qualifying round. India begin their campaign against Pakistan at the MCG on October 23.