Sports

IIE DIGITAL: India suffered a major setback ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka as pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out due to an injury, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Monday. Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi has been named as Bumrah’s replacement and received his maiden call-up to the senior Indian team.

Bumrah has not fully recovered from the left knee injury he sustained during the ODI series against England. The BCCI’s Sports Science team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru decided against rushing the experienced pacer back into international cricket, considering India's busy upcoming schedule.

"The Men's Selection Committee has named Auqib Nabi as Bumrah's replacement. The Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler earns his maiden call-up to the senior national team," the BCCI said in an official statement.

The 29-year-old Auqib Nabi, who hails from a remote village in Baramulla, becomes the third cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn a senior India call-up after Parvez Rasool and Umran Malik. While Rasool and Malik represented India in limited-overs cricket, Nabi will now get an opportunity to join the Test squad.

Nabi has impressed with his consistent performances in domestic cricket. He claimed 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons and played a crucial role in Jammu and Kashmir's historic maiden Ranji Trophy title triumph. During the 2025-26 season, he picked up 60 wickets and also contributed with the bat when required.

The pacer was recently part of the India A squad that toured Sri Lanka, where he picked up six wickets in two first-class matches, strengthening his case for national selection.

Bumrah’s injury setback comes after he missed the third ODI against England at Lord’s last month following an impact injury. The swelling in his knee later emerged as a bigger concern, forcing the team management to take a cautious approach regarding his return.

Meanwhile, batter B Sai Sudharsan’s availability for the Sri Lanka Test series remains uncertain and will depend on his fitness clearance. Sudharsan is recovering from a foot injury suffered during the recent India A tour of Sri Lanka.

The two-match Test series between India and Sri Lanka will begin on August 15 at Galle. The Indian squad will be led by Shubman Gill, with KL Rahul appointed as vice-captain.

India’s updated squad includes Shubman Gill (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi.