Ichha Sharma, Pune
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is gearing up to make his comeback to international cricket after a prolonged absence due to a severe back injury that sidelined him for nearly a year. The 29-year-old pacer is set to lead India in a three-match ODI series against Ireland, commencing on August 18.
In preparation for his return, Bumrah posed for the cameras in the new Indian team home kit. The International Cricket Council (ICC) shared images of Bumrah in the iconic blue kit on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), captioning it with “The wait is almost over.”
For the series against Ireland, India has selected a relatively youthful squad to face the less-favored Irish team. The batting order will look to opener Ruturaj Gaikwad for leadership at the forefront. Gaikwad displayed outstanding form in the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) season and is expected to lead the Indian contingent in the upcoming Asian Games scheduled for September.
Rinku Singh, a standout performer for the Kolkata Knight Riders, has earned a call-up to the Indian squad. Fans are eagerly anticipating his performance in national colors, especially after he notched an impressive 474 runs during the IPL season.
Tilak Varma, who showcased his brilliance in a recent series against the West Indies, is aiming to maintain his good form in the upcoming matches. Meanwhile, talented wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson is hoping to capitalize on any opportunities he receives against the Irish side.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, who has made a name for himself in the past year, is likely to lead the batting order. The squad also includes Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Shahbaz Ahmed, Jitesh Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, and Ravi Bishnoi.
As Jasprit Bumrah makes his highly anticipated return and India assembles a young and promising lineup, all eyes are on their performance in the upcoming series against Ireland.