Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who made a comeback in the recently-concluded Twenty-20 International (T20I) series against the West Indies, has reportedly complained of pain again and could miss the first match of the upcoming One Day International (ODI) assignments.
According to a report in the Mumbai Mirror, Kumar suffered some discomfort during the last and series-deciding T20I between India and West Indies which was won by the former by a margin of 67 runs.
Reportedly, the Indian pacer informed the team management and the medical staff after the game. However, any official statement is yet to be made from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and it is also not clear if there will be any replacement for him.
An indispensable part of the limited-overs set-up, the 29-year-old suffered a massive injury during the World Cup in England earlier this year. Kumar remained out of action for an extensive period of time and in the process missed India’s tour of West Indies and then the home series against South Africa and Bangladesh.
India, meanwhile, will be eyeing victory in the ODI competition as well after bagging a hard-fought T20I series. The West Indies gave the hosts a run for their money in the shortest format and Virat Kohli & Co. will be looking to avoid such circumstances.
The West Indian batting unit looks on equal footing with their Indian counterparts and much will depend on how the visiting bowlers cope up against the Indian batsmen.
In all the three T20Is, including the two that they lost, the West Indies batters had thrown tough challenges to the Indian bowlers. It will, thus, be an extra burden for the bowling unit if Kumar, with all his experience and expertise, stays out of the series.