Jasprit Bumrah, Team India’s ace bowler, is doubtful for the 2026 T20 World Cup group stage match against the United States of America (USA) due to a viral fever. The Men in Blue are facing a severe availability dilemma, with Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar also unable to take the field at Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, February 7.
According to the Indian Express, team management is unwilling to push and risk Jasprit Bumrah in the first match in a long campaign. The hosts will have to delve deep into their reduced resources to put up a bowling onslaught to get the tournament started.
The report showed that Bumrah never took any training with the rest of the Indian team yet he was in the stadium the night before the match.
Bumrah absence was reported when Harshit Rana was officially disqualified to take part in the T20 World Cup campaign because of a knee problem. The pace bowling all rounder sustained an injury in a warm up game against South Africa, and the selectors decided to include Mohammed Siraj as a late replacement.
The 31-year-old who was never originally selected to be part of the World Cup team is now projected to be in the starting line and the only seamer available in the frontline is Arshdeep Singh.
Team India only have 13 fit players to select from for IND vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 match
Even though Tilak Varma and Axar Patel have made encouraging recoveries from their injuries, Team India continues to face uncertainty. While the selectors acted swiftly to name a replacement for Harshit Rana, they are still awaiting an update from the Centre of Excellence regarding Washington Sundar’s recovery.
The all-rounder last featured in the opening ODI against New Zealand on January 11 in Vadodara. Since then, he has been sidelined with a side strain, and the team management is prepared to remain patient, hoping to bring him back for the latter part of the campaign.
