Options India can consider in place of Bumrah

The Indian cricket team suffered a blow in the second T20 international against Ireland when premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah picked up an injury which will rule him out of the upcoming T20 and ODI series against England.

Bumrah sufferred a fractured finger during the match and will be returning home. He will now be in a race against time to be fit for the Test series against England which will begin on the 1st of August.

The injury to Bumrah will come as a huge disappointment for the Indian team as he has been in sensational form with the ball, especially in the shorter format of the game. He has the ability to bowl yorkers with amazing accuracy and Virat Kohli will feel that his bowling attack has lost a valuable resource.

However, if this year's Indian Premier League has taught us anything it's that India has a lot of depth when it comes to talent and there are many young players who are waiting for their shot at securing a place in the national squad. Bumrah's injury, therefore, presents an opportunity for India to unearth some new talent who can do the business in England next year.

This article will look at 3 such players who can serve as able replacements for Bumrah during the upcoming T20 and ODI series against England and who could potentially secure themselves a place in India's World Cup squad. Many of these young stars impressed during this year's Indian Premier League and one has to feel that they would provide Virat Kohli with some valuable options to add to his bowling attack.

#1 Deepak Chahar

The Rajasthan pacer has shown that he has the potential to trouble the best batsmen in the world and may prove to be a valuable addition to the Indian bowling attack on their English tour.

Although he does not bowl at express pace, Chahar does possess a decent amount of control with the ball and can be a bit unpredictable at times. He has not made as big an impact as he would have liked to have made throughout his cricketing career, but anyone who has kept a close eye on the young bowler will surely agree that there is a lot of potential he has to offer.

He is also fairly decent with the bat and this is something which does make him somewhat of an all-round package. It would be interesting to see how he performs in English conditions and whether he can make this series one in which the cricketing world takes serious note of him.

India would do well to give the young man a run during this series. With the World Cup just months away, India will not get another opportunity to test out their younger bowlers in English conditions and to give them some valuable exposure to these types of conditions. Chahar has shown during this year's Indian Premier League that he definitely has the talent to warrant being selected to play for the national side and he would be a useful replacement for Bumrah.

#2 Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur is an exciting fast bowler who can cause real problems for England's batsmen. Thakur is an aggressive bowler who can swing the ball both ways and fits in perfectly as a strike bowler in the Indian bowling lineup.

His ability to hit the deck hard and get some extra bounce is a quality which Virat Kohli will find very useful in English conditions. He also manages to get the occasional movement off the seam which makes it difficult for batsmen.

Thakur has developed over the years and has a particularly dangerous outswinger which would pose a serious challenge to England's batsmen. The Australian bowling which England faced during Australia's dismal tour to England simply lacked any sort of fire and this is one department which Thakur can surely deliver in.

#3 Krunal Pandya

Many cricket fans would know Krunal Pandya for being the brother of Indian cricketing sensation Hardik Pandya. However, the talented all-rounder has made a name for himself and established his own identity.

Pandya has been one of the most consistent players on the Indian domestic scene for a while now. He offers a lot with both bat and ball and has made a case for being selected to play for the Indian national side.

Replacing a pure fast bowler with an all-rounder might sound like a risky option, but it really depends on the all-rounder when you really think about it. There have been many all-rounders over the years who have proved that they can be very dangerous with the ball and who have even performed better than the strike bowlers.

Pandya would therefore serve as a valuable replacement for Bumrah and would add a lot to the strength of the Indian side. He is perfectly able to deliver the goods with the ball and India's bowling attack would not be weakened by his selection ahead of an outright fast bowler.