Jasprit Bumrah set to miss Sri Lanka Test series due to knee injury

Jasprit Bumrah (File pic)

India's lead paceman Jasprit Bumrah is expected to sit out the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka in August after the BCCI medical team advised additional rest for a left-knee problem, according to Cricinfo. The board has not named a replacement yet.

Bumrah has been out of action since the second ODI against England in Cardiff on July 16. He missed the concluding ODI at Lord's, with the BCCI citing a field-impact injury sustained during the Cardiff fixture.

Following the tour of England, Bumrah reportedly received a knee injection as part of a long-term rehabilitation strategy formulated by medical staff.

Earlier this week, the fast bowler reported to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for fitness evaluation. Medical personnel recommended against returning to bowling duties immediately, warning that rushing his comeback could worsen the injury and result in a prolonged lay-off, the report noted.

The full extent of Bumrah's knee concern has not been disclosed. He previously spent time at the CoE in late March for conditioning ahead of the IPL, earning clearance just before Mumbai Indians' first fixture. Bumrah went on to feature in 13 IPL games this season before missing MI's last match.

Injury concerns rise for India in World Test Championship run-in

Bumrah's likely absence adds to a growing injury list for India. Pacers Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy remain sidelined with hamstring and quadriceps issues, respectively. All-rounder Washington Sundar is ruled out of the opening Test due to a hamstring strain, while Akash Deep remains sidelined while rehabilitating back stress reactions.

The first Test between India and Sri Lanka is set to begin on August 15 at the Galle International Stadium, with the second Test scheduled at Colombo's Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) starting August 23. Both encounters will begin at 10:00 AM IST and play a crucial role in WTC points.

The two-match fixture forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign. Captained by Shubman Gill, India sit fifth in the WTC table, holding four victories and four defeats from nine matches for a Points Percentage (PCT) of 48.150.

(With inputs from ANI)