Samson says no replacement for Bumrah after Hyderabad loss
Sanju Samson acknowledged there is no replacement for Jasprit Bumrah but expressed confidence in India's emerging pace options.
Sanju Samson said there is no replacement for Jasprit Bumrah after India's 24-run defeat to West Indies in the fourth T20I on Wednesday. Bumrah was rested for the series after participating in the Asian Games. Samson acknowledged Bumrah's quality but pointed to the progress of Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav as reasons for optimism.
Samson said the young pacers need consistent selection and backing to develop into match-winning bowlers. Arshdeep suffered a blow to his left arm while batting in Hyderabad and is receiving treatment ahead of the decider. Samson also backed top-order batters Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma despite their struggles in the fourth match.
The series is tied at 2-2 ahead of the fifth T20I in Bengaluru on Saturday.
CricHubb Take
Workload management for Bumrah is correct for the longer term, but the immediate cost is visible in series results. The question is whether the learning curve for the next generation can be compressed before the T20 World Cup.