Why Jasprit Bumrah is Not Playing Today in IND vs USA T20 World Cup 2026?

The Indian cricket team is set to play their first match of the T20 World Cup 2026 against the United States of America. The contest is taking place at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 7.

However, ahead of the match, the Men in Blue have suffered a huge blow as their star pacer Jasprit Bumrah is unavailable to play the Group A clash against the USA. It can affect India's plans as Bumrah is the leader of this attack and possibly the best bowler in the world.

Why Jasprit Bumrah is Not Playing Today?

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav made a surprising announcement during the toss, confirming Jasprit Bumrah's absence from the match. Several reports suggest that the star pacer is down with high fever and is unable to play the match. Bumrah will be back in the playing XI as soon as he recovers before the upcoming matches.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj has been named as Jasprit Bumrah replacement for this match against the USA. Interestingly, Siraj wasn't included in the squad initially; however, Harshit Rana's injury prompted the selectors to pick him as a last-minute change in the squad. It's a great opportunity for Siraj to utilise his chances after making a comeback to the team after nearly two years.

Who will Lead India's Bowling Attack Against USA?

With Bumrah missing out from the IND vs USA T20 World Cup 2026 match, the pressure will be on Arshdeep Singh to lead the bowling department. Though bowlers like Siraj and Hardik Pandya would be there, Arshdeep has shown that he knows how to thrive under pressure in the recent past.

The eyes will also be on the two spinners, Axar and Chakaravarthy, to provide wickets in the middle overs. Chakaravarthy's role will be particularly important since he is one of the best T20 bowlers in the world.

India Playing 11 for Match Against USA

Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Varun Chakaravarthy