Dravid, Laxman set to skip Ireland T20Is as likely support staff for Jasprit Bumrah-led Team India revealed

After an absence of almost a year, Jasprit Bumrah is all set to make his comeback to Team India, with the series against Ireland marking his return for the first time since September 2022.

This T20I series will be India’s last engagement in the shortest format before the focus shifts to the One Day Internationals (ODIs) again, as the team’s upcoming focus will revolve around the World Cup preparations, kickstarting with the impending Asia Cup later this month.

According to Cricbuzz, the Indian team is set to depart for Dublin on August 15 for the Ireland series. However, VVS Laxman, the head of the coaching staff, won’t be accompanying them. Rahul Dravid and his coaching team are currently in the US, as the side is aiming at mounting a comeback in the five-T20I series against West Indies. As a result, it was expected that Laxman would step in to lead the coaching staff for the Ireland series. However, the report now states that Sitanshu Kotak and Sairaj Bahutule will be part of the support staff during the series, both of whom currently work in the NCA as well.

Jasprit Bumrah will assume the role of India’s captain for the second time in his career. Prior to this, he had taken charge during the rescheduled fifth Test against England in July 2022. Yet, the spotlight isn’t solely on his captaincy, but rather on his bowling prowess. Bumrah’s significance lies in being a linchpin for India’s aspirations in the forthcoming ODI World Cup, which is set to take place on home soil later this year.

His timely comeback offers a major boost to the Indian team management, which is already dealing with major injury woes in their middle-order batting duo of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer.

Bumrah’s struggles with injury

Last year, Bumrah had withdrawn from the 2022 Asia Cup after complaining of a back injury. Following his comeback in September during a T20I series against Australia, Bumrah faced another setback due to a reported stress reaction in his lower back, leading to his withdrawal from the assignment.

Unfortunately, this also resulted in him missing out on the 2022 T20 World Cup. Although he was included in the squad for an ODI series against Sri Lanka in January of this year, he had to opt out again due to back pain. Subsequently, he was ruled out of the four-match Test series against Australia at home, the 2023 Indian Premier League, and the WTC final.