India's T20 World Cup team likely to be picked on September 16, selectors fret over Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness

TOI understands that the Indian cricket board (BCCI) intends to pick its team on September 16. As the deadline approaches, the selectors and team management are fretting over the fitness of premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has been out of action since the England tour in July due to a back injury. Harshal Patel is also recovering from a rib injury.

“Bumrah has not been declared fit yet. He is going to be at the NCA this week before the selection. The World Cup is still over a month away. Therefore, his selection will happen considering that,” a BCCI source told TOI. India head coach Rahul Dravid has claimed that both the pacers will walk in to the team when they are available. However, it will be interesting to see how the team management handles the two pacers from here on. In all likelihood, most of the players picked for the World Cup are going to play in the two T20I series at home against South Africa and Australia over the next one month. The team management has been very cautious about preserving its players for the marquee event. According to sources, the key would be to get match fitness for Bumrah. How many matches he plays over the next month will be interesting. The team would want Bumrah bowling at full tilt at the World Cup and then it also doesn’t want to push him in the lead up.

India’s pace attack has lacked bite in the Asia Cup. India have struggled to find attacking pacers after the first match against Pakistan. Captain Rohit Sharma had to depend on spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin to look for wickets. Deepak Chahar coming in for the last match against Afghanistan signals he is in the mix to be on the plane to Australia. The team management has been monitoring his progress right