India pacer Jasprit Bumrah could miss the Test series against Sri Lanka starting on August 15 due to injury, according to reports.
The 32-year-old is yet to be formally ruled out but is understood to be suffering from pain in his left knee that puts his participation in doubt.
India needs to win seven of its remaining nine Tests, including two in the island nation, to remain in contention to make the World Test Championship final.
With Akash Deep still recovering from a long-term injury and selectors moving past Mohammed Shami, here are three bowlers who could potentially make the cut in case of Bumrah’s absence:
Auqib Nabi
Auqib Nabi was unlucky to miss out on selection for the Sri Lanka series after impressing in the last two seasons of the Ranji Trophy. He played a key part in helping Jammu and Kashmir win the Ranji Trophy title in the 2025/26 season, picking up 60 wickets.
The 29-year-old was part of the India-A squad that toured Sri Lanka last month and could get a well-deserved call-up.
Yash Thakur
Another bowler who travelled to Sri Lanka for the red-ball series with India-A was Vidarbha’s Yash Thakur. The 27-year-old played both First-Class (FC) matches and picked five wickets.
He then made his limited-overs debut for the senior side in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, featuring in two T20Is. Overall, he has picked 93 wickets in 32 games for Vidarbha in FC cricket and could be a good hit-the-deck option in the squad as a back-up to Prasidh Krishna.
Anshul Kamboj
Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj made his Test debut for India at Old Trafford during the away series in 2025 amidst a flurry of pacer injuries. The match did not go to plan, though, for the 25-year-old as he picked just a solitary wicket in 18 overs, conceding at 4.94 runs per over.
The comeback trail has been better for the seamer as he impressed in the Indian Premier League for Chennai Super Kings, picking up 21 wickets in 14 games. He also featured in the first red-ball game between India-A and Sri Lanka-A.
Published on Aug 02, 2026
