Former Indian cricketer Ashish Nehra expressed astonishment over Jasprit Bumrah's return to the Indian camp for the T20I series against Sri Lanka that begin today, February 24 in Lucknow. Bumrah, who was rested during recent India vs West Indies ODI and T20I series, will now be part of the three-match T20I series and two Tests against Sri Lanka.

During a conversation with Cricbuzz, Nehra stated that he was surprised to see Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the side in IND vs SL T20I series. Nehra also pointed out that other players will miss the spot with Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion in the playing XI.

“I am very surprised that [Jasprit] Bumrah is playing in this T20Is. Every player wants to play, no doubt, but we have two Tests following this series as well. There are many matches to come. We have so many options among fast bowlers and a significant number of them need game time and confidence,” Ashish Nehra told Cricbuzz.

“Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan, for example, need more game time. The moment Bumrah returns to the XI, one of these players will have to miss the spot. So I’m surprised that he is playing here,” he added.

In absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was given an extended rope and impressed in his outings against the Windies in T20Is, while Avesh Khan also had a quality outing in the final T20I of the series against the Caribbean side. Nehra also added that Bumrah's teturn would mean limited opportunities for the other pacers.