New Delhi: Bumrah has a tough job ahead of him as the interim captain of the Indian team for the Ireland series because the veteran pacer will be in charge of leading the charge in his comeback series before the Asia Cup in 2023.
India will play three T20Is against Ireland prior to the continental tournament without veteran players Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, and Virat Kohli.
The Indian pacer, who has been out for 10 months, only has the Ireland series to make a strong impression before India begins to get into the World Cup swing with the Asia Cup. Due to a stress fracture in his back, Bumrah has already missed the entirety of the domestic season.
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Bumrah's assistance was sorely missed by Rohit during the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup last year. India's performance in ICC events fell short of expectations without the speedster. Bumrah's return, however, has given Team India a significant boost in their World Cup preparations.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif stated that only a healthy Bumrah can make India strong title contenders at the World Cup when discussing the pacer's comeback season.
"It will depend on the players who are injured. Bumrah, I think, will be the key if he comes back fully fit. How fit is he we will get to know in Asia Cup. He is going to Ireland right now. So, I am going to see his bowling. If Bumrah is fully fit then India will be a strong side at home," Kaif told reporters.
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India and Pakistan will rekindle their storied rivalry in the Asia Cup prior to the start of the World Cup. Kaif, who has participated in a number of high-profile Indo-Pak matches during his playing career, emphasized India's outstanding record against Pakistan in ICC competitions.
The former Indian cricketer added that Bumrah's backup has not yet been chosen by India. Thus, if Bumrah doesn't recover before the World Cup, India will have to suffer the consequences.
"50-over is a different format. In Australia, it was a T20 format which we played but India play well against Pakistan. They always play well in ICC events, they have a good record against Pakistan. At the moment India is not looking the strongest on paper because they are missing the key players. We are missing KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant. The biggest factor is Bumrah. If he does not make a comeback then India will have to work harder. We still do not have Bumrah's backup. If Bumrah does not play then we can lose. We will have problems before World Cup," Kaif added.
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