Jasprit Bumrah will miss the Sri Lanka Test series due to a left knee injury
The BCCI medical team has opted to prioritise complete recovery despite weeks of rehabilitation
India are already without Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Akash Deep, while Nitish Kumar Reddy is still recovering
India’s preparations for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka have suffered a major setback after Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out with a left knee injury.
The star pacer has not recovered in time despite spending the past few weeks undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.
Bumrah had been included in India’s squad subject to clearance from the medical team, and there had been optimism that he would be available after completing his fitness assessments.
However, persistent discomfort in the injured knee has forced the BCCI to adopt a cautious approach and keep him out of the series rather than risk aggravating the problem.
According to a Times of India report, Bumrah is still experiencing discomfort in his left knee, and the medical staff have advised against pushing him back into international cricket before he has fully recovered.
The injury dates back to the second ODI against England in Cardiff, where Bumrah sustained an impact injury to his left knee while fielding.
The incident caused reactive swelling, which subsequently ruled him out of the third ODI at Lord’s. He then reported to the CoE in Bengaluru to begin a structured rehabilitation programme.
As part of the treatment, Bumrah received an injection last month after the medical team believed it would help accelerate the healing process. While there were discussions about making him available for the second Test in Colombo, the recovery has taken longer than expected, ending any possibility of him featuring in the Sri Lanka series.
A source quoted in the Times of India report explained the reasoning behind the decision, “There have been instances in the past where players have been rushed back to cricket and have broken down. You can’t take that risk again, especially with Bumrah. Complete recovery is the only goal, and there is a lot of cricket left in the year.”
The report further stated that Bumrah was never scheduled to assemble with the Indian squad in Mumbai on August 3 before their departure for Sri Lanka the following day, indicating that the management had already decided against accelerating his comeback.
The series, which begins in Galle on August 15, is an important assignment for Shubman Gill’s India, particularly in the context of the World Test Championship. India currently occupy fifth place in the WTC standings, just one position above Sri Lanka, making the points from this series especially valuable.
Bumrah’s absence adds to an increasingly worrying injury list for the Indian team. Harshit Rana has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Nitish Kumar Reddy continues his recovery from a quadriceps issue.
India have also lost Washington Sundar for the opening Test after the all-rounder suffered a hamstring injury. The selectors have responded by calling up Saransh Jain, the off-spin all-rounder who impressed during the domestic season and in recent India A matches.
Meanwhile, fast bowler Akash Deep remains unavailable as he recovers from stress reactions in his back.
Without Bumrah, India will have to significantly reshape their bowling attack for Sri Lankan conditions. The responsibility is expected to fall on Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh and Mukesh Kumar, while the spin unit is likely to play a decisive role on the turning tracks in Galle and Colombo.
The decision to sideline Bumrah underlines the BCCI’s determination to prioritise the fast bowler’s long-term fitness. With major assignments such as the Asian Games, the tour of New Zealand and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later in the season still to come, India’s management appears unwilling to take any risks with one of the team’s most valuable players.
For now, India will have to begin the Sri Lanka series without their premier pacer and attempt to overcome yet another injury setback in what has already become a challenging build-up to the tour.
India Squad For Sri Lanka Tests 2026
Shubman Gill (c), KL Rahul (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan*, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain
Note: Sai Sudharsan and Jasprit Bumrah’s availability will be subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI COE.
