"If Jasprit Bumrah Doesn't Play We Will Lose": Ex-India Star's Stern Warning For World Cup
In the Twenty20 series against Ireland later this month, Jasprit Bumrah will be in the spotlight. After missing nearly a year of play due to back surgery, this will be his comeback series.
According to Mohammad Kaif, India would have the same problems in the 2023 World Cup knockout games without Bumrah that they did in the T20 World Cup in Australia last year. As for the idea that India has enough bowling talent to field multiple teams, he strongly disagrees with that assessment.
"The injured players' return is crucial to India's chances at the World Cup. We shall soon find out how physically fit Bumrah is after he has been out for a while due to an injury.
India won't be able to compete without a healthy Bumrah in their own World Cup. You cannot field two bowling squads at once. Like in the Asia Cup T20 and the T20 World Cup in 2022, we will not be successful without Bumrah's participation. No one is here to support him.
The 42-year-old acknowledged that "right now the team is not looking the strongest on paper" due to the absence of stars like KL Rahul, Pant, Iyer, and, most significantly, Bumrah.
India's decision to rest regulars like captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Virat Kohli while playing a series of one-day internationals in the Caribbean drew criticism from certain fans.
I won't hold the team accountable for its performance in the West Indies. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli should not have been included in the squad if they felt the need to take a vacation. I'll evaluate them based on the 15 players they bring to the Asia Cup.
From the Asia Cup on, they need to know who will be starting and who will be on the bench, Kaif added.Kishan will be in his World Cup squad as a backup wicketkeeper.
Given his performance, he has earned a spot on the team. It's possible that Kishan, SKY, Samson, and Iyer won't make the final cut of 15, but I can't be sure. Kishan might be Rahul's backup wicket keeper, but that's still up in the air. Kaif predicts that India will go to the quarterfinals once again.
The semi-final is where India will begin their World Cup campaign. To win the championship, they need to win two very important games," he continued.