Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma are unlikely to be available for India tour of Australia

The Indian cricket team is all set to resume its international duties with a tour of Australia for a three-match ODI and T20I series followed by a four-match Border Gavaskar Trophy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is also looking forward to announcing a jumbo squad for the tour comprising as many as 32 players. However, the team could face a big blow as India’s pace spearheads Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are unlikely to be available for the selection.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma were ruled out of the ongoing 13th edition of the Indian Premier League. While the Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer had suffered a thigh injury during the clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Ishant was diagnosed with an abdominal muscle tear while training in the Delhi Capitals camp. The presence of both the pacers is doubtful for the Australia tour.

Ishant Sharma’s absence can be a big blow for the Test team

A report by Times of India suggests that there are very less chances of Ishant recovering before the Australia series. Though the Delhi Capitals physiotherapist Patrick Farhat was looking after the pacer effectively, Ishant had to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore as he is a BCCI-contracted player.

“It’s highly unlikely Ishant will be fit in time for the tour. He was happy that former India physio Patrick Farhart was looking after him at Capitals in Dubai. But since he is a BCCI-contracted player, he had to go to NCA,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

The absence of Ishant can prove to be costly for the Indian Test team as he had picked up 11 wickets from three matches at an average of 23.82 when India claimed a historic Test series win in Australia in 2018-19. However, in the absence of two mainstays, the young seamers like Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Siraj can be considered for the Test squad.

The Indian board is expected to come up with the squad for both the Test and limited-overs series by this month. There are also chances that BCCI will pick a jumbo squad so that they won’t have to call the players mid-way from India amid the bio-bubble in case any injury or unexpected situation arises. Also, it’s a two-month-long tour and the authorities are planning to prepare for any unwanted situations from beforehand.