India have decided to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the forthcoming ODI series in Australia and the New Zealand tour that comprises five ODIs and three T20Is in January-February. Mohammed Siraj has been named Bumrah's replacement for those series while Siddarth Kaul has been added to the squad for the T20I series in New Zealand next month.
Bumrah was rested "keeping in mind the work load of the bowler", according to a BCCI release, to give him adequate rest before the home ODIs and T20Is against Australia in February-March. Bumrah bowled more overs (157.1) than any other fast bowler in the four-Test series in Australia, only behind Nathan Lyon's 242.1 overs as the two finished as the joint-highest wicket-takers in the series. The list for most overs bowled across the three formats in international cricket in 2018 was also led by Lyon (636.3) and Bumrah (511.3), but the India fast bowler led the wicket charts for the year with a tally of 78.
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Siraj, who is yet to make his ODI debut, last played a T20I in the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka in March 2018. But he has been in stellar form with the red ball while representing India A since July. He has taken three five-wicket hauls in the period in eight matches to collect 47 wickets at an average of 18.04. In July, he took figures of 8 for 132 against West Indies A in Taunton and 7 for 134 against England Lions a few days later in Worcester. In Bengaluru in August, he collected 14 wickets against South Africa A in two matches before taking 11 for 136 in one match against Australia A in September.
More recently, he toured New Zealand as part of the India A squad for three first-class matches in which he took seven wickets in three innings. In his last first-class match he finished with impressive figures of 3 for 74 and 4 for 71 for Hyderabad against Punjab in the Ranji Trophy.
Kaul has played three ODIs and two T20Is, with his last international match during the Asia Cup in September in the UAE, where he played only one match, against Afghanistan. Kaul also toured New Zealand as part of the India A squad, but for 50-over matches in which he finished as the highest wicket-taker with seven scalps from three games, with an economy rate of 5.88. In the ongoing Ranji Trophy, Kaul has been the second-highest wicket-taker for Punjab with 22 wickets from five matches at an average of 22.77 so far.
India will play three ODIs in Australia starting January 12 in Sydney, before the ODI series begins in New Zealand on January 23. They will then play three T20Is in New Zealand in February.
ODI squad for Australia and New Zealand: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma (vice-capt), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Shami
T20I squad for New Zealand: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma (vice-capt), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Khaleel Ahmed, Siddarth Kaul