Star India pacer Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness will be tested ahead of his national comeback when he turns out for Gujarat in their Ranji Trophy match against Kerala, beginning on December 25.
Bumrah, who has been out of action since September due to a stress fracture, was on December 23 named in the India squad for the home T20s and ODIs against Sri Lanka and Australia, respectively, next month.
All eyes will be on the 26-year-old in the Ranji Trophy game and among those in attendance will be chief selector MSK Prasad.
Bumrah, who has become India’s go-to bowler in all three formats, last played for India during the Test series in West Indies. In the second game in Jamaica, he became only the third Indian to take a Test hat-trick after veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and pacer Irfan Pathan.
His comeback was expected after he bowled full tilt in a training session ahead of the second ODI against the West Indies in Visakhapatnam last week.
Bumrah has taken 62 Test wickets in 12 games at 19.24 besides 103 and 51 scalps in ODIs and T20s respectively at 21.88 and 20.17.
Bumrah’s state team’s pace attack will be bolstered by his presence.
Gujarat come into their second game of the tournament after comfortably beating Hyderabad in an away game.
Kerala, on the other hand, will be under pressure to deliver following their defeat to Bengal at home. In their tournament-opener, Kerala had allowed Delhi to escape with a draw.
The visiting side will bank on Sanju Samson’s good form to pull it through. Samson, who is part of India’s T20 squad, scored a hundred in Kerala’s last game against Bengal.
