Umran Malik and Mohammad Siraj will travel with the Indian team as Bumrah’s replacement
The 22-year-old IPL prodigy has been added to the list of players who will travel to Australia with the Indian team for the World Cup. India will pick two pacers as backup, with one delivering as a net bowler.
Bumrah was previously reported to be out of the T20 World Cup 2022 owing to a back-stress fracture. The BCCI has now stated that the 28-year-old is still in the plans, and the Board will make a final decision.
Umran Malik’s rise in cricket
Umran Malik is a recent revelation of the IPL’s pool of talent and he is known for his seething pace and uprooting stumps. He would certainly test the grit of Indian batters if he played as a net bowler. He made his Indian team debut against Ireland in a bilateral series led by Hardik Pandya.
He was initially seen at the Sunrisers camp where he used to be a net bowler. His talent got rewarded with some opportunities in the closing stages of IPL 2021 and he was retained. He has played 17 IPL matches and has 24 wickets to his name.
An unidentified source from the BCCI has reported that Bumrah will not be traveling with the team, but no official announcement has been made.
Siraj’s importance in Indian team
Siraj was called up for the injured Jasprit Bumrah for the remaining T20i against South Africa and he is in contention to play the remaining matches. It is understood that Siraj and Umran Malid will travel with the squad to Perth on October 6, where the Indian team will train for a week before traveling to Brisbane for its first warm-up match on October 17.
The delay could be an indication that India is struggling to choose amongst its options. Mohammad Shami’s recovery is critical. According to sources, Siraj and Umran are ‘nearly certain’ to travel with the team, but the official announcement must include a substitute and is anxiously awaited by supporters.
