Jasprit Bumrah faces crucial fitness test ahead of Afghanistan T20I as Prince Yadav back-up

Jasprit Bumrah and Prince Yadav (Agency Pic) New Delhi: As the Indian team awaits reports on Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness ahead of next week’s T20I series against Afghanistan and the subsequent Asian Games, the national selectors have identified Prince Yadav as a likely reinforcement.TOI understands that Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana are scheduled to undergo match simulation tests later this week before the Indian team assembles in Delhi on September 10.“The BCCI medical team at the Center of Excellence (CoE) shared a report with the selectors last week where it was mentioned that the four players were clinically fit but had to be assessed in the practice matches. The CoE has lined up the matches from September 4 to 9. The CoE is of the opinion that the players should be ready for the Afghanistan series,” a BCCI source said.Prince made his international debut at home in the ODI series against Afghanistan in June. He too suffered a hamstring injury in the second T20I in Zimbabwe on 25 July.It has been established that he has been declared eligible by the Council of Europe and is available for selection. Prince has been doing well in T20Is since this year’s IPL and the selectors see him as a serious prospect for the future.

The selectors want Bumrah to play one FC match before the NZ Tests

The selectors and the team management want Bumrah to get some playing time in the first-class game ahead of the New Zealand Test series. Bumrah has not played a red-ball match since the second Test against South Africa in Guwahati last November. He only played T20 cricket before injuring his knee after two ODIs in England in July.“As it is, he has to miss the Test matches due to his fitness. One has to be clear that his knee will take the load of a first-class match before he takes the field in the New Zealand Test. It remains to be seen if he plays a Ranji Trophy match or a first-class match for India ‘A’ in New Zealand. He is likely to be rested for the T20I series in New Zealand in October against Westlap Indies in the home ODI at home ground of the ODI series,” the source said.