Umesh replaces Mohammed Shami in India squad for Australia series

New Delhi, Sep. 18 (PTI): The seasoned Umesh Yadav was on Sunday drafted into the Indian team as veteran seamer Mohammed Shami’s replacement for the three-match T20I series against Australia.

Shami was ruled out of the rubber, starting on Tuesday, late on Saturday night after he had tested positive for COVID-19.

“Fast bowler Mohd. Shami will not be able to take part in the upcoming three-day Mastercard T20I series against Australia after testing positive for COVID-19. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Umesh Yadav as his replacement,” the BCCI said in a statement.

The Board also said that pacer Navdeep Saini has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match one-day series between India A and New Zealand A after sustaining a right groin injury on the first day of the ongoing Duleep Trophy semi-final match between North Zone and South Zone.

Rishi Dhawan has been named as Saini’s replacement in the India A squad.

“He (Saini) is ruled out of the ongoing tournament and also from the upcoming three-match one-day series between India A and New Zealand A. Saini will now head to the NCA for further management of his injury.”

Umesh, who played the last of his seven T20Is in 2019 against Australia, was back in the scheme of things after recovering from a quadriceps injury he suffered during his county stint in England.

The 35-year-old Umesh’s comeback is nothing short of a fairytale as his county stint with Middlesex was cut short by the quadriceps injury.

He had a terrific first leg in the 2022 IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders when he swung the ball at great pace.

For Middlesex, he impressed at the Royal London Cup in which he took 16 wickets in seven List A games, including a five-for and a four-wicket haul.

“Umesh was doing his rehab at the NCA after he came back and it was not a tear, so he has now recovered and is fit to play,” a BCCI source had told PTI.

India squad for Australia series: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav.

India A squad: Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Rajat Patidar, Sanju Samson (Captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Kuldeep Yadav, Shabhaz Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Sen, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik, Rishi Dhawan, Raj Angad Bawa.