"Personally speaking, Jasprit Bumrah is irreplaceable" - Aakash Chopra on whether Indian bowling unit can function without the ace bowler
Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has explored the possibility of the Indian bowling unit functioning without Jasprit Bumrah. The right-arm pacer has reportedly been ruled out of the upcoming 2022 T20 World Cup due to a back stress fracture.
Bumrah's absence in the first T20I against South Africa despite having bowled only six overs in the three-match series against Australia was put down to a back niggle.
However, the issue is much more serious than initially anticipated, with the pacer having already left for Bangalore to undergo scans.
UPDATE 🚨 UPDATE 🚨
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.
#TeamIndia
Noting that the Indian bowling unit is used to playing without Bumrah recently, Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel:
"Personally speaking, Jasprit Bumrah is irreplaceable. All our hopes were tied with Bumrah with the rest of the bowling attack being rather weak. Now, Bumrah has not played much for India this year, so can the bowling unit function without him?"
Bumrah has only featured in five out of 29 T20Is that India have played this year. He was rested for the home season earlier this year, as well as tours of the Caribbean and Zimbabwe before being ruled out of the 2022 Asia Cup.
"There is no relation between the injury and the workload" - Aakash Chopra
Several pundits and experts have voiced their concerns surrounding Bumrah's unconventional bowling style, which results in his back bearing a huge load and stress.
Despite not having played a lot of cricket in the ongoing year, Bumrah has been hit with injury. While the stress fracture may not require surgery, the repeated nature of the injury is certainly something to ponder upon when it comes to prolonging his career.
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Opining that there is not necessarily any relationship between the workload and Bumrah's recurring back injury, Chopra said:
"The back injury to Bumrah has been a recurring one, it is troubling him time and time again. There is no relation between the injury and the workload. He has played very less cricket this year, and in spite of that he got injured. So, there is a lot of trouble."
The Gujarat-born pacer was touted to spearhead the Men in Blues' bowling unit at the T20 World Cup in Australia. His absence certainly puts a huge dent in India's silverware ambitions, with the team devising new plans to replace Bumrah.
Noting that perhaps all is not lost to Bumrah's injury. Chopra said from a statistical point of view:
"Are we too dependent on Bumrah? When India have played with Bumrah this year, they have won 8 matches and last 2 with an economy of 7.6. Without Bumrah, India have played 28 matches this year, won 20 and lost 7 with an economy of 7.9. So, all is not lost."
India are likely to call-up a player from the stand-by list to replace the ace bowler for the tournament.
Will Team India succeed at the T20 World Cup 2022 without Bumrah in the playing XI? Let us know what you think.