Indian cricket team suffered an early blow on Monday as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that the marquee pacer has been ruled out of the 3-match ODI series against Sri Lanka. Bumrah was a late addition to India's squad for 50-over assignment but the board decided to pull him out again, deciding to give him more time to be fully fit. Bumrah's u-turn from the Indian squad has left fans worried about the state of the pacer's fitness. In fact, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra feels it's probably time for the team to start preparing for life without Bumrah.
"I am slightly worried because he has not played cricket since September. Maybe it's time to start preparing for life without Bumrah. He played an odd match in between where he got injured and didn't come back. He then comes and goes back again.
"His name comes in the team and then he is not there. He was a late inclusion here and was out again. It's not a good story because it is a World Cup year and you have already missed the last World Cup," Chopra said in a video on his Youtube channel.
The cricketer-turned-pundit also admitted that there's no one like Bumrah at the Indian team's disposal. Yet, Chopra is confident of the current crop of Indian pacers to get the job done, especially in ODIs.
"Although there is no one like Bumrah and will not be there as well at this point in time, the good thing is that you have Mohammed Siraj - the way his stature has grown, Umran Malik is doing well, Mohammad Shami does well in ODIs, Arshdeep Singh is ready, I am not sure about Prasidh Krishna's injury but he is also looking okay.
"We will be able to manage fast bowling. It's not that it will not happen. I am not pinning my hopes that India can only win if Bumrah is there. The chances improve if he is there but what can you do if he is not there. There have been too many injuries. If that's the case, you start thinking of a life without him," he added.
As far as the Sri Lanka series is concerned, the Indian team will have to rely on the likes of Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik, and Arshdeep Singh.