Jasprit Bumrah set to miss Sri Lanka Test series due to knee injury

India are set to be without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, with the fast bowler yet to fully recover from a knee injury.

The swelling in Bumrah's knee is understood to be more serious than initially expected. The Sports Science team at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru has decided against rushing the experienced pacer back into international cricket, keeping in mind India's demanding schedule in the months ahead.

The two-Test series against Sri Lanka begins on August 15 in Galle.

The 32-year-old had missed the third ODI against England at Lord's after suffering an impact injury. He later reported to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and was expected to regain match fitness before the Sri Lanka tour.

However, Bumrah is still experiencing discomfort during his recovery. Even if he is declared fit before the opening Test or the second Test, which starts on August 23, the medical team is said to be cautious about exposing him to the workload of Test cricket, especially on slow, docile pitches that can place additional physical demands on fast bowlers.

With Bumrah likely to miss the series, the selectors could consider Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi or Vidarbha fast bowler Yash Thakur as a replacement in the squad.

India's injury concerns have also deepened ahead of the tour. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana are both sidelined with hamstring injuries, while Washington Sundar is expected to miss at least the first Test due to a hamstring issue.

With PTI inputs