Jasprit Bumrah On The Verge Of Joining Elite List In T20Is

Team India will welcome their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah in the upcoming first T20I against Australia on Sunday. Bumrah has not played for India since the conclusion of the Test series in Australia last month. The series ended a great year for Bumrah which saw him establish himself as the leader of the pace attack of the national team across formats.

He finished 2018 as the highest wicket-taker across all formats in the calendar year. The fast bowler took 78 wickets in this year. Bumrah took 48 wickets in 9 Tests, 22 wickets in 13 ODIs and 8 wickets in 8 T20I matches. Bumrah was also pivotal in India’s historic Test triumph in Australia. India beat Australia 2-1 t register their first Test series win on the Australian soil. He ended the series as the joint highest wicket-taker along with Aussie spinner Nathan Lyon, picking up an impressive 21 wickets including a career-best 6 for 33 in the Melbourne Test.

The team-management then gave him the much-needed rest. Consequently, Bumrah missed the three-ODI series against Australia and the tour of New Zealand which had five ODIs and three T20Is.

Fresh and rejuvenated after the break, Bumrah will be eyeing an impressive comeback in the first T20I against Australia.  And Bumrah will have a chance to join the elite list in the series. The Gujarat pacer can become just the second Indian bowler to reach the 50-wicket mark in T20Is after Ravichandran Ashwin. So far, Bumrah has 48 scalps in T20Is and needs two more to enter the 50-wicket club. He can also go past Ashwin in the list if he manages to take five more wickets.  Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi leads the all time with 98 wickets.

MOOD in the camp before the 1st T20I against Australia in Vizag #TeamIndia #INDvAUS @Paytm pic.twitter.com/eRuJSW9B8j

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 23, 2019

Skipper Virat Kohli, meanwhile, has said he is expecting a tough fight from Australia in the upcoming series.

“We obviously expect a stiff competition overall from the Australian team but if I had to single out one player that can make more impact that would be Marcus Stoinis,” Kohli told reporters ahead of the series-opener.