5 surprise replacements for Jasprit Bumrah in Indian T20 World Cup 2022 squad
India's star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will miss the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 due to a back injury. Bumrah is one of India's key players, and his absence will hurt the team a lot, especially in Australian conditions.
The Indian think tank will now have to pick a replacement for the ace fast bowler. Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Shami are the top two candidates as they are present in the list of reserves.
In the past, fans have noticed that the Indian selection committee tries to surprise their opponents by making some unexpected calls. A similar thing could happen at this year's T20 World Cup as well.
Here's a look at the five fast bowlers outside the reserve list who could surprisingly replace Jasprit Bumrah in the Indian squad.
#1 Umran Malik
Many fans and cricket experts wanted Umran Malik in India's T20 World Cup squad. However, his disappointing performances in the three T20Is he played for the Men in Blue led to his exit from the squad.
Malik scalped two wickets in three matches at an economy rate of 12.44. His ability to clock 150 kmph consistently on the speedometer is what makes him one of the candidates to replace Bumrah.
#2 Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur played for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. He remained wicketless in the two games he played. As a result, he only got one more T20I after the T20 World Cup.
Thakur is a wicket-taking bowler who can also contribute his bit with the bat. Considering that he has experience playing in Australia, the selectors could consider him for the marquee event.
#3 Mohammed Siraj
Mohammed Siraj returned to the Indian T20I squad in the ongoing series against South Africa as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah. Like Shardul Thakur, Siraj has some experience of playing in Australian conditions.
Siraj's performance in T20 cricket has also gradually improved. It will be interesting to see if he jumps ahead of Chahar and Shami in the race to play for India at the T20 World Cup.
#4 T Natarajan
Not many fans would be in the favor of picking a player in the T20 World Cup squad who has not played international cricket in the last one year. However, T Natarajan has a great record in Australian conditions.
The left-arm pacer made his international debut on Australian soil and starred in India's T20I series win against the Aussies two years ago. His fitness issues led to his exit from the team, but he looked in decent shape in the T20 leagues earlier this year.
#5 Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav recently made his comeback to the Indian T20I squad after staying out of the team for three years. He picked up two big wickets in the first T20I against Australia but was dropped because of his high economy rate.
Yadav has played a lot of cricket in Australia. His performances in T20s have improved this year, and the selectors have shown faith in him since India's exit from the Asia Cup. He remains one of the contenders to replace Jasprit Bumrah.