Bhuvneshwar Kumar misses 3rd T20I with stiff back; Chahar makes his debut
In what is likely to be another blow for India as they look to maintain their 7-0 win record in the final game of three-match T20I series, fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been ruled out of the third T20I against England at Bristol with a stiff back. Deepak Chahar, who was drafted into the T20I squad following Jasprit Bumrah's injury, gets his maiden T20I cap and is one of two changes as India won the toss and elected to field first.
Chahar is one of the two changes in the side for the third T20I as Bhuvneshwar and Kuldeep Yadav miss out. He has been rewarded for his consistent performances in IPL 2018 for Chennai Super Kings and in the tri-series for India A. The fast bowler was an integral part of the CSK side that won IPL 2018 and has been sensational so far in England, having taken 16 wickets in his six List-A games.
In the tri-series, he finished as India A's leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets in four matches at an economy rate of just over 4.5. Overall, only Liam Dawson (14) finished with more wickets than him in the tri-series that India A won.
The 28-year-old fast bowler has struggled so far in England. In the three T20Is he has played (one of which was against Ireland), he has picked up just one wicket. His injury now means that India will go into the third T20I at Bristol without their first-choice pace duo of Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar.
Siddarth Kaul, Umesh Yadav and Deepak Chahar will be India's pace attack for the decider at Bristol, which will also see them go with just one front-line spinner in Yuzvendra Chahal.
The three-match T20I series is tied at 1-1 as India won the first T20I at Manchester before England won the second one at Cardiff.