It has been reported that selectors don’t want to take any chance for New Zealand tour, and thus Bumrah might play one Ranji Trophy fixture before the all-important tour. Bumrah suffered a knee injury during the England tour and was ruled out of the third ODI at Lord’s.

The ace pacer was then named in the Test squad for the Sri Lanka series but his selection was subject to fitness clearance. But Bumrah was eventually ruled out of the series and Auqib Nabi Dar was named as his replacement.

Bumrah has been named in India’s T20I squad for Afghanistan series but once again his availability is subject to fitness clearance. Along with Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy’s selection depends on their fitness and the quartet are expected to play match simulations before the Afghanistan series.

“The BCCI medical team at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) had shared a report with selectors last week, where it was mentioned that these four players were clinically fit but had to be assessed in practice matches. The CoE has lined up the matches from Sept 4-9. The CoE is confident that the players should be ready for the Afghanistan series,” a BCCI source told TOI.

The source added that Bumrah will need to prove his fitness in a first-class game before the tour of New Zealand.

“As it is, he has to skip Test matches because of his fitness. One has to be clear that his knee can take the load of a first-class game before he takes the field in a Test in New Zealand. It needs to be seen if he plays a Ranji Trophy game or a first-class game for India ‘A’ in New Zealand. He is likely to be rested for the T20I series against the West Indies at home in October. But the ‘A’ games in New Zealand overlap with the ODI series there,” TOI quoted a source as saying.

India will play two Test matches on the New Zealand tour.